MAGAZINE EDITION

CONTRIBUTORS

BACK ISSUES

CONTACTS

APPRAISAL DEFENDED

By Anne Ramsay
Contact the author via Chris Johnstone by e-mail at christopher.johnstone@ntlworld.com

We all have our pet hates. I'm also form phobic but even more so I hate pretension. You know the kind of thing-the food industry has it perfected:

A "cacophony of summer vegetables-mixed veg; a "puree of root pommes de terre"-mash etcetera, etcetera.

Even better if you can include another language(French is ideal)-clearly more sophisticated and clever. However as someone with only one degree and a member of one College, I have to say I don't find the appraisal forms that tricky. It's a bit like I.T. - I reckon if I can do it, anyone can. After all you only have to complete a Scot 1, Scot 2 and include a core category for each appraisal. Save the details and even easier the next year.

Certainly, I think the documentation was cumbersome to start with, involving a fair amount of repetition, signing off and duplication.

In response to feedback and review we now have the new forms-a sign of a system which is developing, interactive and responsive.

Forms 3-5 involve feedback(vital to ensure development and change), confirmation of appraisal completion and a confidential record of what was discussed- to be used for revalidation and clinical governance purposes. Locums have an extra one to complete to ensure payment from the health board(currently in Tayside, being rolled out to all of Scotland by March 2006). No one ever complains about that one funnily enough!

It's also important to be absolutely clear about Appraisal vs Revalidation,

Formative vs Summative............

Revalidation - government led, mandatory and a system to demonstrate an individual's "fitness to practice", evidence given of minimal competency.

Appraisal - peer appraisal in Scotland, formative, supportive and involving reflection, discussion and challenge. A sort of "where have I been, where am I now and where am I going" type of scenario. Allowing people to talk about themselves, personally and professionally, discuss changes, encourage evolution and development, improving quality. Sounds good to me. And positive feedback from over 3000 appraisees must mean something.

Is it possible to "fill out forms and talk around them with no medical knowledge"? Or cheat the system? I don't think so and collated feedback and evidence supports my view. Each appraisal is there to consider the seven areas of good medical practice laid down by the GMC and accepted by the profession.

Patients expect, and are entitled to, a good service from their GPs. Explicit to this is a good clinical knowledge base which is continuously being updated and added to-ah, yes, a PDP I think covers that.....

As for peer review in person during surgeries and visits being cheap? I don't think so. How many peer reviewers would we need? Who would train them? How would they achieve consensus on what is acceptable practice? Probably by having "tick box" forms similar to video assessment. Back to those forms again......

Or maybe we should just all sign each other off, an old boys' (and girls') network if you like. You do mine and I'll do yours type of scenario. Ah- that's what we were trying to get away from wasn't it? Make the system more transparent................

Developing appraisal and making it stimulating and challenging while keeping the process supportive is a big task to ask of any one system or person, and yet it's been and being done. Lets hope the momentum and support continues to allow development, change and support of revalidation in whatever shape or form it's presented to us.

Appraiser (Tayside) actuelle

Other hoolet online articles by Anne Ramsay can be found at:
hoolet edition 49 - West Highland Way Diaries
hoolet edition 47 - Appraisal Defended

hoolet is the magazine of RCGP Scotland. It is supported intellectually, financially and emotionally by RCGP Scotland.

This issue maintained by Robert Hallam.