Revalidation Delivery Board Scotland

In order to practice medicine in the UK, doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and hold a licence to practice that must be renewed every 5 years, via a process known as Revalidation.

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 to the required standards and are aware of the latest developments around the areas in which they practice. Medical appraisal remains one of the GMC key requirements for doctors’ revalidation. It allows doctors to reflect on their achievements and challenges over each year and to discuss their development with a colleague who is a trained appraiser. Wellbeing is now an established central element to this discussion.

The Revalidation Delivery Board for Scotland (RDBS) was set up to oversee the operational implementation and delivery of medical revalidation. It has remained as the main advisory group within Scotland. The Board meet twice per annum, or more if required, to consider any current medical appraisal or revalidation issues that may impact on the process of revalidation. The Board is a collaborative workspace which is run on a consensus basis which provides each stakeholder with the opportunity to contribute their group’s views.

At times, the Board may convene small working groups to fulfil a specific function, such as the 2022 Short Life Working Group which published Preparing for Appraisal for Revalidation Purposes, Updated Guidance for Doctors Undergoing Appraisal.

The Board has recently commissioned an independent contractor to work on an upgrade to SOAR, the national IT system used by doctors working in NHS Scotland for managing their appraisal processes. This will focus on the software rather than the appraisal process and is expected to report to the Board by the end of 2023. (See section on SOAR for more details.)

In previous years the Board has commissioned an annual Medical Appraisal and Revalidation Quality Assurance (MARQA) review which would be presented to the Board prior to publication. During Covid this was paused, however consideration is being given to it restarting in 2024.

The chairperson of RDBS is a Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Scotland. Board membership includes representation from a wide range of stakeholders including the General Medical Council (GMC), NHS Education for Scotland (NES), British Medical Association (BMA), Scottish Association of NHS Medical Directors (SAMD), Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) and Independent Hospitals.