Appraisal and CPD

Appraisal

The GMC has published guidance on what is required for an annual appraisal here. It has also published an appraisal framework, which is based on its core ethical guidance, Good Medical Practice. Other guidance on appraisal is also available, such as that from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, NHS England and Medical Appraisal Scotland.

We recommend that doctors working within forensic and legal medicine are familiar with the FFLM’s Quality Standards in Forensic Medicine and that they are prepared to discuss its application to their practice at their annual appraisal.

A list of people who have notified the FFLM that they have received appraiser training can be found on our List of Appraisers. You must be logged in to access the document.

NB The Faculty does not recommend or endorse these individuals for appraisal, but we will continue to provide the list as a benefit of membership. If you wish to make contact with any of the individuals listed below please do so directly (email contact details are provided) rather than through the FFLM. The Faculty recognises that appraisers have a professional obligation to ensure that they are adequately trained for their role and maintain their skills appropriately in line with revalidation requirements.

Please be aware that Appraisers are taking on additional work, and will be entitled to charge a fee for this work. This should be negotiated between the doctor and the appraiser.

For members interested in becoming appraisers, the FFLM run occasional training courses along with top-up training for established appraisers. Details will be published on our events page.

To become a FFLM appraiser please complete and return  the application form to forensic.medicine@fflm.ac.uk along with a copy of your most recent appraiser (this should have been within the last two years) and equality and diversity training (this should have been within the last three years) .

CPD and other supporting information for appraisal

The GMC focus on CPD activity is on quality, not quantity and in particular the role of reflection in supporting learning and improvement. The GMC does not mandate the amount of CPD doctors must undertake, nor the level of detail to be recorded, as this will vary depending on the speciality concerned.

The FFLM understands that members will have varying needs in terms of CPD and that these will be discussed at each annual appraisal. However, CPD activity must cover the full scope of your professional practice and be tailored to your learning needs. There is no rigid recommendation of the number of hours of CPD that is required each appraisal year, but the FFLM recommends that it is undertaken at regular intervals, in a planned, structured way, with reflection where appropriate.

Note that the General Dental Council (GDC) has set out different standards for dental professionals in the form of an enhanced CPD scheme. The enhanced CPD scheme for dentists stipulates a minimum hours’ requirement (100 hours over a five-year revalidation cycle). A further difference with the CPD requirement for doctors is that dentists must have formal documentary evidence of CPD undertaken, and the FFLM will help to facilitate this by retaining its procedure for certification of its educational events. In common with the GMC guidance for doctors, the GDC emphasises the importance of reflection in learning.

A variety of relevant CPD opportunities can be found on the FFLM’s events page.

Details on quality improvement activity, colleague feedback and patient/client feedback can be found in the GMC’s supporting information guidance, and it should be noted that these two categories of supporting information will be required at least once in a five-year revalidation cycle.

FFLM Appraiser Forum

Following feedback from appraiser training in 2021, an Appraiser Forum for FFLM Appraisers was established.

The group meets every six months to support appraisers who often work outside of organisations with clinical governance processes to support them.

The next meeting of this forum will be in March/April 2024 (date TBC) between 13:00 and 14:00. Please register your interest in attending by contacting forensic.medicine@fflm.ac.uk.

HELP Point

We also have a ‘HELP point’ for any appraiser who is new and/or having difficulties (not with serious concerns that should be flagged to the RO/Suitable Person).

Any requests for assistance should go to forensic.medicine@fflm.ac.uk.