Medical Appraisal Service for Doctors

Professional, Supportive and Confidential Appraisal

Complete your medical appraisal with structured guidance, a supportive discussion and clear documentation for your professional development and revalidation portfolio.

PLAB Guide Training Centre’s Medical Appraisal Service is designed for licensed doctors who require an independent, professional appraisal of their medical practice. The service provides an opportunity to review your work, reflect on your achievements and challenges, discuss your supporting information and agree a meaningful Personal Development Plan for the year ahead.

The appraisal is intended to be constructive and developmental rather than intimidating. Our aim is to help you present your professional practice clearly, identify any gaps in your portfolio and approach the appraisal process with confidence.

Who Is This Service For?

The service may be suitable for:

• Doctors without a connection to a designated body

• Doctors working independently or in private practice

• Locum doctors

• Doctors working through agencies

• Doctors undertaking portfolio careers

• Doctors working overseas while maintaining a UK licence

• International medical graduates

• Doctors returning to UK clinical practice

• Doctors undertaking a low volume of UK medical work

• Doctors whose practice includes several organisations or professional roles

• Doctors who require support organising their appraisal evidence

• Doctors seeking a reflective and professionally supportive appraisal experience

All licensed doctors are required to participate in revalidation. The process they must follow depends on whether they are connected to a designated body, a responsible officer or a suitable person.

Important Eligibility Information

Before booking an independent appraisal, you must check your GMC revalidation connection.

Where a doctor has a responsible officer through a designated body, the GMC states that the doctor must normally use the appraisal system provided by that designated body unless the responsible officer agrees to an alternative arrangement.

You should obtain written confirmation from your responsible officer before booking an independent appraisal where this applies.

Doctors without a designated-body connection may have additional requirements and should ensure that the chosen appraisal arrangements are suitable for their individual GMC revalidation pathway.

What Is Included?

Your appraisal service may include:

• Initial review of your appraisal circumstances

• Guidance on the evidence required

• Review of your submitted appraisal portfolio

• Identification of missing or incomplete supporting information

• A confidential appraisal meeting with an experienced medical appraiser

• Reflection on your full scope of practice

• Review of continuing professional development

• Discussion of quality-improvement activity

• Review of significant events

• Discussion of complaints and compliments

• Review of patient and colleague feedback, where applicable

• Discussion of health, wellbeing and professional sustainability

• Review of your previous Personal Development Plan

• Agreement of a new Personal Development Plan

• Completion of the relevant appraisal summary documentation

• Opportunity to review the written appraisal summary for factual accuracy

• Post-appraisal guidance where further evidence or action is required

The appraisal discussion should cover the doctor’s whole scope of practice, including clinical and non-clinical work, NHS and independent work, voluntary roles, teaching, research, leadership and management responsibilities.

Preparing Your Appraisal Portfolio

You will normally be asked to provide information covering your work since your previous appraisal, including:

• Your current scope of practice

• Places and organisations where you have worked

• Clinical and non-clinical professional roles

• Continuing professional development

• Quality-improvement activities

• Significant events

• Complaints and compliments

• Patient feedback, where required

• Colleague feedback, where required

• Health and probity declarations

• Evidence of reflection

• Your previous appraisal summary

• Progress against your previous Personal Development Plan

• Professional achievements and challenges

• Proposed development objectives

The supporting information should be relevant, proportionate and reflective of the work you actually undertake.

Your Appraisal Meeting

The appraisal meeting is a confidential, structured and supportive professional discussion.

During the meeting, you and your appraiser will explore:

• Your professional roles and responsibilities

• Changes in your practice

• Achievements since your previous appraisal

• Challenges or barriers affecting your work

• Learning from your supporting information

• Your professional wellbeing

• Development needs

• Career goals

• Plans for maintaining and improving patient care

Medical appraisal is intended to support professional development and help doctors provide high-quality care. NHS England’s Medical Appraisal Guide describes appraisal as a consistent and proportionate process supporting doctors in providing the best professional care for patients.

Personal Development Plan

As part of the appraisal process, you will agree a focused Personal Development Plan for the next appraisal period.

Your objectives should be:

• Relevant to your professional roles

• Realistic and achievable

• Linked to your learning or development needs

• Appropriate to your scope of practice

• Capable of being reviewed at your next appraisal

The plan may include clinical learning, teaching, leadership, quality improvement, career development or professional wellbeing objectives.

Doctors Working Across Several Organisations

Doctors working in multiple settings must include information from across their entire professional practice.

This may include:

• NHS employment

• Private or independent practice

• Agency and locum work

• Remote consultations

• Overseas clinical work

• Teaching and examining

• Research

• Management and leadership

• Medico-legal work

• Voluntary medical roles

Relevant governance information may also need to be obtained from organisations where the doctor has worked. Responsible officers are expected to consider appropriate clinical governance information when making revalidation recommendations.

Support for International Medical Graduates

PLAB Guide Training Centre has extensive experience supporting international medical graduates as they progress through UK medical practice.

We understand that doctors who qualified overseas may be unfamiliar with:

• The UK appraisal structure

• GMC revalidation terminology

• Reflective writing

• Quality-improvement evidence

• Personal Development Plans

• Patient and colleague feedback

• Whole-scope-of-practice declarations

• Expectations around complaints and significant events

• Differences between appraisal and revalidation

Our approach is respectful, supportive and focused on helping you understand the process while maintaining the professional independence of the appraisal.

Appraisal and Revalidation Are Different

Medical appraisal supports the revalidation process, but an appraisal alone does not revalidate a doctor.

A revalidation recommendation is made through the doctor’s responsible officer, suitable person or the relevant GMC process, depending on the doctor’s connection status.

Booking this service does not guarantee:

• A positive revalidation recommendation

• Acceptance of the appraisal by a designated body

• GMC revalidation

• Continuation of a licence to practise

• Resolution of outstanding regulatory or employment matters

Doctors remain responsible for confirming that the appraisal arrangement is appropriate for their individual circumstances.

Complex Appraisal Circumstances

Please contact us before booking where your circumstances include:

• A current or previous GMC investigation

• Fitness-to-practise proceedings

• Conditions or restrictions on your registration

• Suspension from practice

• Employer investigations

• Disciplinary proceedings

• Significant unresolved complaints

• Criminal proceedings or convictions

• Extended absence from medical practice

• Significant gaps in supporting information

• Several missed appraisals

• Approaching revalidation with incomplete evidence

• Uncertainty regarding your designated-body connection

Additional review time, documentation or specialist support may be required before an appraisal can be accepted.

Why Choose PLAB Guide Training Centre?

Doctors booking through PLAB Guide Training Centre benefit from:

• A supportive and non-judgemental approach

• Experience working with international medical graduates

• Clear guidance before the appraisal

• Structured portfolio review

• Confidential professional discussion

• Flexible online appointment options

• Face-to-face appointments in Manchester where available

• Support understanding appraisal and revalidation terminology

• A convenient Manchester training centre

• Limited free on-site parking, plus free on-street parking nearby (first come, first served)

• Access to wider professional-development and clinical-training opportunities

How the Booking Process Works

1. Book Your Appraisal

Select the available appraisal option and provide accurate information about your current professional circumstances.

2. Eligibility Review

We will review your connection status and confirm whether any further information or responsible-officer approval is required.

3. Submit Your Portfolio

You will receive instructions explaining which documents and supporting information to provide.

4. Portfolio Review

Your submitted information will be reviewed before the meeting. You may be asked to provide clarification or additional evidence.

5. Attend Your Appraisal

Meet your appraiser online or in person, depending on the service selected.

6. Review the Summary

Following the meeting, the appraisal documentation will be prepared and you will have an opportunity to check it for factual accuracy before completion.

Book Your Medical Appraisal

Arrange a professional and supportive medical appraisal with PLAB Guide Training Centre.

Please ensure that:

• You understand your GMC connection status

• You have permission from your responsible officer where required

• Your appraisal portfolio is sufficiently complete

• You disclose any complex regulatory or employment circumstances before booking

• You provide enough time for portfolio review and completion of the appraisal process

Early booking is recommended, particularly where you have an approaching appraisal, annual return or revalidation deadline.