Annual appraisals plan for 218,000 doctors

Doctors will have to be tested on their performance and undergo annual appraisals under plans to overhaul medical regulation being put out to consultation.

By The Newsroom

Published 2nd Mar 2010, 11:15 BST

Updated 2nd Mar 2010, 11:16 BST

The medical profession, patients and other groups are to be asked to give their views about how proposals are introduced to revalidate an estimated 218,000 doctors in the UK.

Under the scheme, licences to practise as a doctor will be issued by the General Medical Council (GMC) every five years based on annual appraisals of doctors' skills and knowledge.

The GMC insists the new scheme will not be introduced as a "big bang" and will be phased in over five years from 2011.

Niall Dickson, GMC chief executive, said: "This represents the biggest change in medical regulations for 150 years. What we are attempting to do is to move away from a register which is based on a history of qualifications towards a contemporary record, or a near contemporary record of performance."

Doctors