Content Comparison

• 6.1 Myth: Only courses and conferences count as CPD

6.1 Myth: Only courses and conferences count as CPD

Continuing professional development (CPD) activities should be very broadly defined and include personal, opportunistic and experiential learning as well as activities targeted at identifying ‘unknown unknowns’. Any learning activity where you spend time learning something and deciding how it can be put into practice in your current, or proposed, work can be counted as CPD. You should only expend time and energy in documenting a sample of your most relevant and important learning.

The aim is to demonstrate a balance of learning across the curriculum relevant to your scope of practice over the five-year revalidation cycle. You should choose to demonstrate reflection on your most valuable learning events across a variety of learning. This is not just courses and conferences and may include:

• learning from cases, data and events
• personal reading and online research
• online modules
• professional conversations about clinical care
• everyday learning from your work and the experiences of others.

As there is so much learning in primary care that takes place in teams, you should demonstrate where this has led to important changes and developments. It is also important, where possible, to demonstrate some learning with others outside the usual workplace to allow for external calibration of ideas and processes. For any learning activity, you need to reflect on what you have learned and any changes you have made (or not) as a result.

6.2. Myth: I have to do an equal amount of CPD every year despite different circumstances

You do not have to do the same amount of CPD every year. Your revalidation recommendation will be informed by a portfolio that will normally cover a five-year cycle. We recommend that you should learn from a wide variety of sources and ensure that you always keep up-to-date as part of normal professional practice.

You should view documentation of CPD as a selective process that must be kept reasonable and proportionate, documenting your reflection on your most important learning and any changes made as a result every year. It is reasonable to average out CPD and ensure that there is a spread from the GP curriculum over the five-year cycle. This may involve making up a shortfall or gap in one year over the following years.

Sometimes it is obvious that a major commitment, such as a postgraduate qualification, in one area of your scope of practice, will take up almost all the CPD in one year. You should talk and work with your appraiser to ensure that the spread and variety of your CPD are documented in future years. Your appraiser can help you to recognise and document your CPD appropriately. They can also help you to plan to ensure that your portfolio covers the GP curriculum over the five-year cycle.

6.3. Myth: As a part-time GP, I only need to do part-time CPD

When you are providing undifferentiated primary care, whether full-time or part-time, you cannot expect to demonstrate that you are up-to-date and fit to practise on part-time CPD. You need to cover the whole of the GP curriculum. We recommend that part-time GPs, who have less experiential learning to draw on, need the same amount of CPD as full-time GPs. It would be inappropriate for a doctor working one surgery a year as a GP to suggest that they could demonstrate that they were up-to-date for that role after completing only one credit of CPD relevant to such work. 

6.4. Myth: My CPD for each part of my scope of practice must be different

Most doctors find some of their CPD appropriately demonstrates they are up-to-date in different parts of their scope of practice. For example, the learning about diabetes done for a specialist interest role is likely to be applicable to a broader undifferentiated GP role. You can use the same CPD to demonstrate keeping up-to-date for all applicable roles.

If different organisations, in different parts of your scope of practice, have required training in common, such as Equality and Diversity training or Information Governance updates, an annual update in one organisation should be accepted by others. This avoids duplication which could take you away from clinical care. You should check with the organisations in which you work that your training will cover all your roles. Organisations should be prepared to accept equivalent learning and understand the importance of not taking doctors away from front line care.

It is the responsibility of individual GPs to check that the content of the training they undertake is appropriate to all their roles and to agree the equivalence with the organisations in which they work.

6.5. Myth: My supporting information from part of my scope of practice already discussed elsewhere has to be presented again at my medical appraisal for revalidation

We recommend that the original supporting information from parts of the scope of practice subject to a robust appraisal separately to the main medical appraisal for revalidation does not always need to be included again in the portfolio of supporting information. However, your portfolio should include a signed off summary of the appraisal discussion and outputs with appropriate contact details for the appraiser and relevant organisation. Your responsible officer can then follow up on that part of work if they need to. If part of your scope of practice is not appraised elsewhere, the GMC requires the six elements of supporting information and reflections about that part of your practice to be shared in the portfolio and discussed in the main appraisal.

6.6. Myth: The GMC requires GPs to complete Basic Life Support and Safeguarding Level 3 training annually to revalidate successfully

The GMC does not set any specific revalidation requirements in relation to CPD or specific types of training. The GMC’s requirements for revalidation are about maintaining your licence to practise as a doctor. You must demonstrate to the GMC that you are up-to-date and fit to practise as a doctor.

We recommend that you demonstrate how you have covered the breadth of the GP curriculum over the five-year cycle to demonstrate fitness for purpose as a GP. Some GPs might demonstrate that they are up-to-date and fit to practise as a doctor, without being able to demonstrate that they are fit for purpose as a GP, if they are no longer in a GP role.

The GP curriculum includes demonstrating competence in Basic Life Support and Safeguarding Level 3 training, so keeping these up-to-date is an RCGP recommendation, but not a GMC requirement. The organisations in which you work might set specific training requirements, or your inclusion on a performers list might require you to undertake specific training. These are not requirements for revalidation. You should be aware of any training required by your organisation, as well as any training required for inclusion on a performers list. 

In many areas, responsible officers (ROs) have asked doctors to include additional training requirements in their portfolio of supporting information. This is to ensure that organisational requirements are understood by every doctor. This does not make them part of the GMC requirements for revalidation. It is important that you recognise the difference between the requirements for revalidation and training requirements for other purposes, and that your appraiser and RO do not allow the two to become confused.