Appraisal; the next steps?

Appraisal offers an opportunity for both the clinician and the employer to demonstrate commitment to their professional responsibilities in a tangible manner that can benefit patients, the individual clinician and the service. One unintentional consequence of revalidation may have been to foster a belief that it has undermined the educational and developmental aspects of appraisal. The objective of promoting transparency and accountability through revalidation may have led some clinicians to feel they work in a culture of greater scrutiny and assessment, leading to an erosion of their engagement with the process. Some appraisers previously comfortable with the educational and supportive ethos of appraisal may be less likely to continue in that role if they are viewed or see themselves as GMC assessors. Priorities include a need for research to evaluate the impact and outcomes of appraisal and revalidation, to evaluate how appraisal can meaningfully feed into improving patient care and the contribution that medical education can make to the process.