GMC to recommend that revalidation for doctors should begin

The General Medical Council (GMC) has confirmed that it will recommend to the Secretary of State for Health, Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, that revalidation for doctors should begin in December this year.

At its meeting today the Council of the GMC considered statements from the four health departments of the UK, as well as its own statement, each of which stated that they were ready to start revalidation and concluded that the systems are in place across the UK for revalidation to begin.

The decision follows last week’s UK Revalidation Programme Board (UKRPB) which advised the GMC that the UK is ready to begin revalidation.

The Chair of the GMC, Professor Sir Peter Rubin, will now write to the Secretary of State, who will consider the GMC’s recommendation when deciding if revalidation will begin in December this year.

Professor Sir Peter Rubin said:

‘I would like to pay tribute to the huge amount of work and commitment shown right across the UK over the last eighteen months to get us to this significant point. We are confident that the introduction of revalidation will make an important contribution to patient safety and to improving the quality of care that patients receive from their doctors. Indeed, we believe significant potential benefits for patients have already begun to emerge during preparations.’