Start early when work is changing. Confirm the connection, the approved appraisal route, access to governance information and a realistic plan for any evidence gaps.
By the end of this module, you should be able to:
- Plan appraisal continuity through short-term employment.
- Distinguish supervised experience from formal training progression.
- Seek appropriate arrangements for breaks and changes in scope.
Do not leave evidence collection until the final week
GMC: revalidation requirements for doctors ↗
UK · Relevant requirements and explanatory sections · Substantive check: 2026-09-09. Reviewed for the specific appraisal teaching; not certification of every linked statement.
At the start of a short post, identify who can provide governance information, how feedback is arranged and which appraisal process applies. Keep neutral notes of roles, dates, learning and agreed actions as work proceeds. Before access ends, ask how you can obtain authorised records later. Do not copy patient records or a departmental archive to a personal account as a precaution.
A useful exit checklist includes the scope of work, supervisor or governance contact, available feedback, unresolved actions and the transfer route for appraisal outputs. For example, an LED moving after six months may need a summary of local participation rather than a completely separate revalidation portfolio for that post. Confirm what the responsible officer needs and preserve the limitations of the evidence.
Separate appraisal from training and contractual progression
An LED may work under supervision and receive workplace feedback without being in a recognised training programme. Annual appraisal, supervisor reports, competency assessment and any contractual pay-progression process have different purposes. Do not describe an appraisal outcome as an ARCP outcome or assume that evidence gathered for one process automatically satisfies another.
If your employer introduces an enhanced appraisal or competency-linked pay arrangement, identify the written policy, eligible contract, decision-maker and review route. Use the relevant employment guidance alongside this programme. A developmental appraisal should still make learning and support visible. It should not be used to promise a training place, automatic SAS conversion or a pay entitlement that has not been established.
Keep multiple settings visible
GMC: revalidation requirements for doctors ↗
UK · Relevant requirements and explanatory sections · Substantive check: 2026-09-09. Reviewed for the specific appraisal teaching; not certification of every linked statement.
Locum and multi-employer work can create gaps because information is distributed. Maintain a role map and ask each organisation how relevant governance information can reach the appropriate responsible officer. Do not assume that the organisation with the easiest portal is the correct connection or that work performed occasionally is outside the scope of appraisal.
Plan a proportionate way of gathering meaningful feedback and quality information. Repeatedly moving between sites may make a standard exercise difficult, but the difficulty needs an agreed response. Record what is available, what is missing and what alternative is proposed. An informal assurance from a colleague is not the same as agreement by the responsible officer or suitable person.
Translate overseas experience without overstating it
GMC: connection help tool ↗
UK · Relevant requirements and explanatory sections · Substantive check: 2026-09-09. Reviewed for the specific appraisal teaching; not certification of every linked statement.
Doctors entering UK practice may have substantial experience but unfamiliarity with local appraisal language and systems. Seek induction on the actual process, including confidentiality, reflection and evidence access. Explain overseas qualifications and work accurately, while recognising that revalidation ordinarily draws on whole UK practice. Ask the GMC or responsible officer about unusual circumstances rather than assuming overseas evidence alone is sufficient.
For MTI or other time-limited arrangements, clarify supervision, employment and appraisal responsibilities separately. A sponsoring organisation, educational supervisor and designated body may have different roles. A practical starting note can identify which question belongs to which person. Avoid interpreting a supportive educational report as a decision about immigration status, registration or future employment.
Plan absence and return with the relevant teams
GMC: revalidation requirements for doctors ↗
UK · Relevant requirements and explanatory sections · Substantive check: 2026-09-09. Reviewed for the specific appraisal teaching; not certification of every linked statement.
Parental leave, illness, caring responsibilities and other breaks can affect the evidence available and the timing of appraisal. Contact the appraisal team or responsible officer early to agree an appropriate plan. Do not assume that absence automatically changes the GMC date or that a reduced working pattern removes the need to engage. If retaining a licence without UK practice, obtain specific guidance.
Return to work may require induction, supervision, updating skills or adjustments according to the role and duration away. Those arrangements concern safe practice and should be agreed with the employer and appropriate clinical or occupational-health support. An appraisal meeting does not itself authorise a return to unrestricted duties. Keep the return plan and the appraisal plan connected but distinct.
Make unequal access visible without overstating the conclusion
If access to an appraiser, development time or evidence is poor, describe the practical barrier and what would resolve it. Keep a factual record of requests and responses. Seek help from the appraisal lead, SAS tutor, educational team, responsible officer or representative as appropriate. This helps distinguish a systems problem from a missing personal action.
A constructive request might identify a required feedback exercise, the lack of local administrative support and a proposed alternative provider or collection route. Avoid making broad accusations when a precise request is more likely to help. If there is a serious fairness or employment concern, use the relevant support process; the educational route finder cannot determine discrimination or decide a grievance.
Plan around an appraisal date
Enter your proposed meeting date. These suggested preparation intervals are educational choices, not GMC or employer deadlines. Your actual submission timetable and official letters take priority.
The date stays in this page only. No reminders are sent. This tool does not calculate revalidation, appeal or legal deadlines.
What evidence or support would become inaccessible if your current placement ended next week?
Three takeaways
- 1Arrange continuity early.
- 2Distinguish appraisal from other assessments.
- 3Agree gaps and return needs explicitly.
Check your understanding
Six questions on Appraisal through LED posts, locum work, transitions and career breaks test process and practical judgement. This is educational: it does not assess your health, evidence sufficiency or decide a legal issue.
Recommended workbooks
Use neutral planning notes and keep completed workbooks on a trusted device. Do not enter identifiable cases or confidential material.
Official and professional guidance
Confirm current GMC requirements and the approved arrangements for your designated body and nation.