The use of online video tools to facilitate remote medical appraisal meetings has become the norm for many clinicians since the 2020 global pandemic.
The guidance below is designed to help appraisers who are unfamiliar with this approach to carry out their first remote appraisals and make the most of the tools available.
NHS Scotland has a tenancy agreement with Microsoft, making the suite of Microsoft Office applications available for all NHS Scotland staff. Microsoft Teams is the main communications tool used to facilitate meetings and webinars. As such, MS Teams is the preferred choice for Medical Appraisal as well since it will be supported in local health boards.
There are other popular messaging and video conference tools available, for example Zoom, FaceTime, Google Meet etc. If you chose to use an alternative application to MS Teams, please ensure (where applicable) the meeting organiser sets the appropriate security settings when scheduling and more crucially make sure that both the appraiser and appraisee are happy to use the choice of software.
If you have never used these applications before, you will need to create a new account and depending on the app, you may have to download rather than accessing it through the web browser. If you are using MS Teams, your local health board IT will likely have this installed already on your computer (if not, you can follow this up with them).
Whilst most of these applications are available (freely) as an app on mobile devices, we strongly suggest you access the software via a computer/laptop setup for ease of navigating between the communication tool and the supporting information.
Having a "remote" appraisal should not be any different than the traditional face-to-face in-person appraisal in terms of preparation.
Whilst appraisal will be intrinsically linked to Medical Revalidation, the purpose of the appraisal meeting should be (and always has been) focused on the appraisee. With any appraisal meeting the meaningfulness of the discussions is only as good as the preparation.
As with a face-to-face appraisal, preparation is important. The appraisee should submit their SOAR information at least two weeks prior to the meeting to give the appraiser enough time to review it in preparation for the meeting. Agreeing an agenda prior to the meeting will help focus on the key discussion points and allow you to make the most of the time allocated to the appraisal.
For the appraisal meeting itself, you need to ensure the computer or laptop you are using has a web-cam, speakers and microphone to facilitate the video call.
To help you get the most out of the appraisal meeting we suggest you consider the below:
Also consider a plan B if the technology fails for whatever reason. Exchange phone numbers for a telephone call if necessary.
Medical appraisal is a peer-to-peer process, as such you may wish to consider removing any corporate background graphics to avoid any possible illusion of organisational hierarchy / performance management. Remember, appraisal is a supportive process to review a colleague's achievements and development. Performance management is for line managers, not appraisers.
Also, be mindful of your presence. Try to position yourself on camera so you are not appearing too close, or too far from view. If you were too close to the camera and taking up most of the screen, it may come across as overbearing and daunting for your appraisee. Equally if you were too far away you may appear disinterested.
Make sure your computer is protected against viruses by means of having an anti-virus software on your computer and ensure it is kept up-to-date. This is common good IT practice in everyday use.
If you are using workplace computers/laptops, this is generally managed by corporate IT; but if you are using your own devices, it is your responsibility to ensure your devices are secure and protected with the latest anti-virus software.
As with every other online system that requires a password, it is your responsibility to ensure your password is secure and that you are the only one who knows it; don’t make it easy for someone to guess. DON’T include things like names of loved ones, pets, sports team, hometown etc. Try and include a mix of upper and lowercase characters, as well as symbols and numbers and mix of random (2 or 3) words.
If you think your work or NHS Office365 account has been hacked, please contact your Health Board’s IT urgently for further assistance. If you suspect your personal accounts have been hacked, log in and change your passwords just to be on the safe side. Remember - it is your responsibility to keep your online accounts safe and secure.
Depending on the software you use to arrange the meeting you should set up a password when creating the meeting (e.g. Zoom). MS Teams meetings usually don’t require a password as only authorised people can gain access.
It is NOT recommended for you share appraisal (or any) documents via external video conferencing tools. Use SOAR so that all appraisal documents are retained and stored in one place.
Even though the appraisal is carried out remotely, all privacy and confidentiality protocols still need to be adhered to:
You don’t have to be IT-savvy to have an online meeting, just be mindful:
Consider using remote appraisals if face-to-face meeting is difficult to arrange (e.g. if geography / travel becomes an issue etc).
If in doubt, consult your Appraisal Lead.
The Medical Appraisal Scotland team do not have the capacity to provide IT support of this level. If you run into any technical problems please liaise with your Health Board’s IT support in the first instance.
This page was last updated on: 12/06/2026
