Revalidation Delivery Board Scotland (RDBS)

Overview

Medical Revalidation, a legal requirement in the UK since December 2012, is a process by which doctors demonstrate to the General Medical Council (GMC) that they are up to date and fit to practise.

Every doctor must revalidate every five years in order to continue to practise in the UK and should complete annual appraisals based on the GMC’s core guidance, Good Medical Practice. Appraisal provides the essential information that is used by the Responsible Officer to recommend to the GMC that a doctor should have their license to practise maintained.

Revalidation is intended to give reassurance and confidence to patients and other stakeholders who have an interest in the delivery of safe medical treatment, that doctors are performing well and are aware of the latest developments in the area of medicine in which they practise.  

It should also help doctors to reflect on how they can improve their practice and how they interact with patients and colleagues.  

Purpose

The Board meets twice per annum, or more often if required, to consider any current medical revalidation issues or anything that may impact on the procedure.  

One of the main functions of the Board is to commission the annual Medical Appraisal and Revalidation Assurance (MARQA) review and endorse its findings. The presentation of the report to RDBS takes place late autumn/early winter each year before publication.  

At times RDBS may have small working groups to fulfil a specific function eg National Appraisal Leads Group (NALG) to build up and establish processes and paperwork when medical revalidation was first introduced. These types of groups tend to be for a short period to fulfil their function and then cease.  

Beginning Feb 2020 there will be a short life working group to review A Guide to Appraisal for Medical Revalidation in Scotland in light of experience from the first cycle of medical revalidation.

Members

Chair

The chairperson is a senior medical adviser to the Scottish Government with a special interest in medical revalidation.  

Members

Ideally, the Board membership should have representation from the following organisations / roles-

Organisation	Role	Notes
NHS Education for Scotland	National Appraiser Adviser
NHS Education for Scotland	Training Manager (Medical Appraisal)
NHS Education for Scotland	Postgraduate Dean or responsible officer
NHS Health Improvement Scotland	Programme Manager
NHS Health Improvement Scotland	Senior Reviewer	This is role of current rep but can be others as required.
NHS National Services Scotland	Responsible officer or appraisal lead
	Lay member
	Patient rep or public partner	If new rep is required, liaise with HIS
British Medical Association	Secondary care representative
British Medical Association	Primary care representative
Scottish Association of Medical Directors	Representative
General Medical Council	Employer Liaison Officer, Scotland
General Medical Council	Policy and External Affairs Manager, Scotland	This is role of current rep but can be others as required
	Independent hospitals representative

Observers/others

Occasionally, there may be observers or others attending the meeting as required.  
 

Publications