Appraiser training courses in 2019/2020
With the cancellation of courses not coming into effect until March 2020, the period of 2019/2020 was another busy and challenging year for the training team, delivering 20 training courses. A breakdown of the 20 training events this year across Scotland are as follows:
Of the 11 New Appraiser Training courses successfully run, 129 attended the New Appraisers courses (up from 122 last year); with 19 from Primary Care (GP) and 110 from Secondary Care.
In Scotland, for the purposes of Revalidation, all appraisals are undertaken by a NES-trained Appraiser. The Medical Appraiser Refresher training offers an opportunity for experienced appraisers to refresh their skills and assist them in their continued role as an appraiser. Refresher training (1-day event) is recommended to be undertaken once every 5 years by active appraisers. An email invitation was sent to all Appraisers who hadn’t attended a Refresher event for some considerable time, resulting in a total of 106 Secondary Care Appraisers and 26 Primary Care Appraisers taking this opportunity and attending our Refresher programme during the 2019/2020 period.
The following tables give a further breakdown of course numbers.
New Medical Appraiser Training Courses
The table below illustrates the attendance at the 2-day New Appraiser courses, which are designed to run with maximum 18 participants capacity. (Due to venue restrictions, and tutor availability, some courses are adjusted accordingly.)
*N58 was cancelled due to undersubscription; the venue booking was reused to host two national meetings instead.
Participants’ feedback from the courses was very positive:
“I found it a very well worthwhile course, not just for appraisal. It was quite different from probably any other course I have been on in terms of testing and stretching my abilities. I learnt an enormous amount about communication skills which hopefully I can apply in many circumstances.” N56 Participant, 28 August 2019
“I thought this was an excellent and very enjoyable course, supported by a great team of knowledgeable and skilled tutors plus efficient admin staff. Thank you.”
“…The multidisciplinary interaction, the open discussions and the fact that groups changed over the two days. The information offered was excellent.” N62 Participants, 22 January 2020
“Genuinely one of the best courses I have done in the last five years.” N64 Participant, 5 March 2020
Refresher Medical Appraiser Training Course
The following table illustrates the attendance at the 1-day Appraiser Refresher courses, which are designed to run at maximum 24 capacity.
Participants’ feedback from the courses was very positive:
“Very useful to get constructive feedback on own appraisal style & to observe some very skilled colleagues.” R31 Participant, 8 May 2019
“Excellent course, inspiring and good fun.” R36 Participant, 12 December 2019
“It has been some time since I did a refresher course so it was important to update my skills, learn new tips and check that I am continuing to be consistent with my colleagues.” R38 Participant, 11 March 2020
Distribution of trained Appraisers across Health Boards
Of the 128 New Appraisers successfully trained, and the 132 Appraisers who attended the Refresher courses during 2019/2020, below is a breakdown of the spread across the health boards:
* Following national agreement, NSS has taken over the appraisal administration responsibilities for specialty health boards/areas with smaller numbers of medical staff (e.g. NES, Health Scotland, HIS, Scottish Government etc), pooling together all Appraisers to ensure Appraisees in these organisations have access to at least 2 different appraisers within a 5-year Revalidation cycle.
Becoming an Appraiser
Whilst the training course delivery, format and content may be changing (see Plans for 2020/2021), the need for Appraisers has not. Medical Appraisal and Revalidation will continue and in particular the need for Appraisal – a safe and protected environment for colleagues to discuss and reflect on their work – will play a vital role post-COVID to support the workforce recovery.
If you are interested in becoming an Appraiser, you can find further details via the Medical Appraisal Scotland website. Training course details available under the “Be an Appraiser” link in the menu.
Please discuss further with your local Appraisal Lead as the first port of call. Appraisal management processes (and vacancies) vary across the Health Boards in Scotland and it is important that you understand the requirements of your Health Board, and that they can guide and support you in the Appraiser role.
Challenges ahead
2019/2020 has been a successful year for the training team, highlighted by the doubled Refresher attendance compared to last year. It has also highlighted the need for us to update the Refresher course content – which we have been actively working on for some time.
COVID-19 has brought new challenges for all concerned, educators, learners and organisers alike; but when we all work together, nothing is insurmountable, and we look forward to the collaborative working and shared learning experience.
Stacey Lucas Administrative Officer (Medical Appraisal)