Health Secretary Andy Burnham has announced that more than 3,000 doctors are to take part in a new system of strengthened appraisal, as part of 10 revalidation pilot studies across England and Wales.

The pilots aim to provide reassurance about whether the doctors are up-to-date with medical advances and are fit to practice – as well as improving the quality and safety of patient care.

The General Medical Council (GMC) intends to introduce a system under which doctors will have to renew their licences every five years – and Mr Burnham said that the pilots were intended to test how other bodies and individuals could support the revalidation process for doctors.

‘Revalidation will provide the scrutiny that patients rightly expect – and provide assurance that the doctor who is treating them is keeping up-to-date and has all the skills and competencies necessary to do a good job.

‘It will also help support doctors to reflect on their practice, continue to develop their skills and enable them to access professional development throughout their careers,’ Mr Burnham said.

Chairman of the GMC Peter Rubin said that for the ‘vast majority’ of doctors, the appraisal system would confirm that their skills and knowledge were current – and would also demonstrate the high level of professionalism they attain in their daily lives.

‘However, an effective system of appraisal will also mean that doctors will have the opportunity to reflect on their practice and identify learning needs,‘ he added.

‘The doctors who take part in these important pilots will play a vital role in helping to shape a key part of revalidation.’

The pilots are due to run from January 2010 until March 2011, before initial tests of the full revalidation system between late 2011 and early 2012.

The government’s chief medical officer, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, said:

‘This new system will not only boost the levels of public trust in doctors, it will also allow us to step in and support those professionals who are struggling to keep pace.

‘We have been delighted with the number of organisations who applied to take part in the pilots, which shows that the NHS is keen to move forward on revalidation.

‘We will continue to listen to patients and doctors as we move through the pilots and ensure they are independently evaluated.’

Sir Liam added that a balance between developing a revalidation system that would ‘inspire confidence’ and a cost-effective solution to revalidation needed to be found.

‘Ultimately, the process is aimed at helping the vast majority of doctors who are already delivering good care to do even better – and to provide patients with reassurance that their doctor is a good doctor with 21st century knowledge and skills.’

© 5r1 Limited 2010