Medical Appraisal Service – Terms and Conditions

1. Nature of the Service

PLAB Guide Training Centre provides an independent medical appraisal service for eligible doctors.

The service may include:

• Eligibility and connection-status review

• Pre-appraisal guidance

• Review of submitted supporting information

• An appraisal meeting

• Preparation of the appraisal summary

• Agreement of a Personal Development Plan

• Reasonable post-appraisal clarification

Medical appraisal supports professional development and revalidation. It does not itself constitute revalidation and does not guarantee a positive revalidation recommendation or any particular GMC decision.

2. Eligibility and Revalidation Connection

Before booking, the doctor must establish their current GMC revalidation connection.

Doctors connected to a designated body must normally use that organisation’s appraisal system unless their responsible officer has agreed to an alternative arrangement. Doctors with a suitable person must ensure that the proposed appraisal is acceptable to that suitable person.

The doctor is responsible for obtaining any required written approval before booking.

PLAB Guide Training Centre may decline, defer or cancel an appraisal where:

• The service is not appropriate for the doctor’s connection status

• Required responsible-officer or suitable-person approval has not been obtained

• The doctor’s circumstances fall outside the scope of the service

• An appropriate appraiser cannot be allocated

• A conflict of interest is identified

3. Accurate Information

The doctor must provide complete and accurate information, including:

• Full name as shown on the GMC register

• GMC number

• Contact details

• Current employment and professional roles

• Designated-body or suitable-person information

• Appraisal and revalidation dates

• Whole scope of professional practice

• Relevant regulatory, employment or governance matters

Failure to disclose material information may lead to postponement or cancellation without completion of the appraisal.

4. Appraiser Allocation and Conflicts of Interest

An appropriately trained appraiser will be allocated according to availability, suitability and any identifiable conflict of interest.

The doctor must notify us promptly if they:

• Know the allocated appraiser personally

• Have previously worked closely with the appraiser

• Have an active professional, financial or supervisory relationship with them

• Believe that a real or perceived conflict may exist

Where appropriate, another appraiser will be considered.

5. Portfolio Submission

The doctor must submit their appraisal portfolio and requested supporting information by the deadline stated in the booking instructions.

The portfolio should include relevant information from the doctor’s whole scope of practice. GMC requirements state that annual appraisal should cover all UK medical practice and should be conducted by an appropriately appointed and trained appraiser.

Documents submitted late may result in:

• Reduced preparation time

• A request for further information

• Postponement of the appraisal

• Additional review charges

• Cancellation where a meaningful appraisal cannot safely proceed

6. Incomplete Supporting Information

The appraisal may proceed where some information is missing if it remains professionally appropriate to do so. Missing information must be openly declared and may be recorded in the appraisal summary with an agreed plan for completion.

An appraiser is not required to complete or approve an appraisal where the information provided is insufficient, misleading, unverifiable or inconsistent.

7. Complex Circumstances

The doctor must contact us before booking if they have:

• Missed previous appraisals

• A current or recent GMC investigation

• Conditions, undertakings or restrictions

• An unresolved employer investigation

• Significant unresolved complaints or incidents

• A prolonged absence from medical practice

• Major gaps in supporting information

• An imminent revalidation deadline

• Uncertainty about their designated-body connection

Additional fees may apply where substantial extra review, meetings or documentation are required. Any additional charge will be explained before that work begins.

8. Appraisal Appointment

The doctor must attend the appointment on time and remain available for the full scheduled meeting.

For online appraisals, the doctor is responsible for:

• Having a reliable internet connection

• Using a device with a working camera and microphone

• Joining from a private and confidential location

• Ensuring that documents can be accessed during the meeting

• Testing the meeting link in advance

An appraisal meeting must not be recorded unless all parties have expressly agreed in writing beforehand.

9. Rescheduling by the Doctor

A request to change the appointment must be made in writing.

Subject to appraiser availability, the following rescheduling terms apply:

• More than 14 calendar days before the appointment: one transfer without a rescheduling fee

• Between 7 and 14 calendar days: transfer subject to a reasonable administration charge

• Less than 7 calendar days: treated as a late cancellation unless exceptional circumstances are accepted

• Less than 48 hours or failure to attend: normally non-refundable

Only one complimentary transfer is permitted. Further changes may incur an administration charge.

10. Cancellation by the Doctor

The following cancellation policy applies after any applicable statutory cancellation period:

• More than 30 calendar days before the appointment: refund of fees paid, less any work already completed and reasonable non-recoverable costs

• 15–30 calendar days before the appointment: 50% refund of the appraisal fee

• 8–14 calendar days before the appointment: 25% refund of the appraisal fee

• 7 calendar days or fewer: no refund

• Failure to attend: no refund

Where portfolio review, eligibility assessment or appraiser preparation has already begun, the reasonable value of completed work may be deducted from any refund.

Cancellation charges will not exceed the reasonable losses and costs arising from the cancellation. UK consumer guidance states that businesses should not impose excessive cancellation charges or automatically retain payments beyond their actual loss.

11. Statutory Cooling-Off Rights

Where the booking is a qualifying consumer distance contract, the customer may have a statutory right to cancel within 14 days after the contract is entered into.

Where the doctor asks us to begin eligibility checks, portfolio review or other services during this period, they expressly request early performance of the service.

If cancellation occurs after work has begun, a proportionate charge may be made for work already completed where permitted by law. If the service has been fully performed following the required express request and acknowledgement, the statutory cancellation right may no longer apply.

These statutory provisions apply only where legally applicable and do not restrict any rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

12. Late Booking

Doctors booking within 14 days of the proposed appointment accept that:

• Portfolio preparation time may be limited

• The appraiser may require the appointment to be postponed

• All supporting information must still be submitted by the stated deadline

• A meaningful appraisal cannot be guaranteed if the portfolio is incomplete

By accepting a short-notice appointment, the doctor acknowledges that the reduced preparation period results from the timing of their booking.

13. Failure to Attend

A doctor who does not attend the appointment, joins too late for a meaningful appraisal, or is unavailable for the required duration will normally be treated as a non-attendee.

The fee will not normally be refunded. A new appointment and payment may be required.

Exceptional circumstances may be considered individually, and reasonable supporting evidence may be requested.

14. Cancellation or Change by PLAB Guide Training Centre

We may need to change the appraiser, appointment time or delivery format where reasonably necessary.

Where we cancel the service and cannot offer a suitable alternative, the doctor will receive a refund of the fees paid for the undelivered service.

We are not responsible for indirect losses such as:

• Loss of earnings

• Missed work

• Travel or accommodation costs

• GMC fees

• Responsible-officer charges

• Revalidation delays

This does not exclude liability where exclusion would be unlawful.

15. Appraisal Outcome

Payment does not guarantee:

• Completion of an appraisal summary

• Acceptance by a responsible officer or suitable person

• A positive revalidation recommendation

• GMC revalidation

• Continuation of a licence to practise

• Resolution of regulatory or employment concerns

The appraiser must exercise independent professional judgement and may record concerns, missing information or agreed actions where appropriate.

16. Personal Development Plan

The Personal Development Plan will be agreed through discussion between the doctor and appraiser.

The doctor remains responsible for:

• Ensuring that objectives are relevant

• Completing agreed objectives

• Retaining supporting evidence

• Reviewing progress at the next appraisal

17. Appraisal Documentation

Following the meeting, the doctor may be invited to review the draft summary for factual accuracy.

The doctor must respond within the stated period. Failure to respond may delay completion.

Requests for substantial changes, additional meetings or the inclusion of new information not available at the appraisal may incur an additional fee.

The doctor cannot require the appraiser to remove or amend an honestly held professional opinion merely because they disagree with it.

18. Confidentiality and Information Sharing

Information will be handled confidentially and in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements.

Confidentiality is not absolute. Information may need to be disclosed where:

• Required by law

• Necessary to protect patients or others from serious harm

• Required by an authorised regulatory process

• A serious professional concern is identified

• The doctor has provided consent

• Verification is reasonably required by a responsible officer or suitable person

The doctor must not upload identifiable patient information unless it has been appropriately anonymised and is necessary for the appraisal.

19. Professional Conduct

Doctors must communicate honestly and respectfully with the appraiser and administrative team.

We may terminate the service where there is:

• Abusive, threatening or discriminatory behaviour

• Dishonesty or falsification of evidence

• Repeated failure to provide required information

• Pressure on the appraiser to alter independent findings

• Conduct that compromises professional standards

Refund entitlement will depend on the work already completed and the circumstances of termination.

20. Fees and Additional Work

The booking fee covers only the services stated in the selected appraisal package.

Additional fees may apply for:

• Urgent or expedited appointments

• Extensive portfolio reconstruction

• Review of unusually large volumes of material

• Additional appraisal meetings

• Rescheduled appointments

• Post-appraisal work outside the agreed service

• Printed or couriered documents

• Corrections required because inaccurate information was supplied

No additional charge will be made without informing the doctor first.

21. Complaints

Concerns should initially be submitted in writing to PLAB Guide Training Centre with:

• The doctor’s name and GMC number

• The booking reference

• A clear description of the concern

• Relevant supporting documents

• The outcome being requested

Complaints about administration will be reviewed separately from disagreements with the appraiser’s independent professional judgement.

Submitting a complaint does not automatically suspend professional duties, appraisal deadlines or GMC requirements.

22. Doctor’s Continuing Responsibilities

The doctor remains responsible for:

• Understanding their revalidation connection

• Arranging annual appraisal

• Meeting GMC requirements

• Maintaining accurate supporting information

• Declaring their whole scope of practice

• Meeting appraisal and revalidation deadlines

• Informing their responsible officer or suitable person of relevant matters

• Ensuring the appraisal is acceptable for their individual pathway

Doctors without a responsible officer or suitable person may be subject to additional GMC requirements.

23. Acceptance of Terms

By completing the booking, the doctor confirms that they:

• Have read and accepted these terms

• Have provided accurate information

• Understand that appraisal is not revalidation

• Have checked their GMC connection status

• Have obtained any required approval

• Accept the applicable cancellation and rescheduling policy

• Authorise portfolio review to begin when expressly requested