Doctor’s medical appraisal checklist

The checklist can be found as a new section within the updated MAG form (NHS England 2016), but for those doctors not using the MAG form, or who would like a printed/hard copy version including the explanatory notes, a separate/stand-alone version is available to assist doctors as an aide memoire in their preparation for appraisal.

Medical appraisal has four purposes:

  1. To allow you to demonstrate your fitness to practise for revalidation
  2. To help you enhance the quality of your work by planning your professional development
  3. To help you consider your own needs
  4. To help you work productively and in line with your organisation.

By submitting your appraisal portfolio two weeks in advance, the first and fourth purposes can largely be completed before the appraisal, creating greater scope to focus on personal and professional developments to improve your practice when you meet your appraiser.

Revalidation has been designed in such a way that, as a professional, you provide the first level of assurance of your fitness to practise in the form of your appraisal submission. You should therefore only finalise your submission to your appraiser when you are confident that it provides this assurance.

The checklist aims to help you with this. Founded on GMC guidance, it addresses the essential requirements of a satisfactory appraisal portfolio. It also indicates where College and other professional body guidance are relevant, as well as where local processes might also define certain expected aspects of your submission.

The information which comprises the appraisal inputs falls into five headings:

  1. Personal information
  2. Scope and nature of work
  3. Supporting information
  4. Review of previous personal development plan
  5. Achievements, challenges and aspirations

This checklist helps you to consider each category based on existing guidance and current thinking since that guidance was written.

You should find it helpful to review your appraisal submission using this checklist as a final step before submitting it for review by your appraiser.

Where you are uncertain about any of the parameters listed, you can refer to the explanatory notes. If you remain uncertain, you should contact your appraiser for advice before you finalise your submission.