If the GMC has emailed asking you to complete an annual return, you might be wondering what it actually involves, what you need to send, and whether it is the same thing as appraisal. The good news is that it is usually manageable once you understand the process. I’ll take you through it step by step.
What exactly is a GMC annual return?
The GMC annual return is a yearly submission for doctors who hold a UK licence to practise but do not have a connection to a responsible officer or GMC-approved suitable person. It helps the GMC check that you remain engaged with appraisal and revalidation even though no designated body is overseeing the process.
It asks where you have worked, whether you have been registered overseas, whether you have relevant matters to declare, and how you have engaged with appraisal and its supporting information. It is not another appraisal meeting.
| Appraisal | REV10 annual return | REV12 appraiser report |
|---|---|---|
| Reflective annual discussion with an appraiser | Doctor’s submission to the GMC, normally through GMC Online | Completed by the appraiser to confirm a qualifying appraisal |
| Covers your whole scope of practice and learning | Records your work, standing, declarations and appraisal engagement | Supports the GMC’s annual-return evidence requirements |
| Normally arranged annually | Submitted when the GMC requests it | Obtained from your appraiser when applicable |
Who actually needs one?
Most commonly, it is doctors who hold a licence but have no revalidation connection. That can include agency locums, some independent practitioners, IMGs seeking their first UK post, or doctors whose work does not create a prescribed designated-body connection. Being a locum or an IMG does not automatically mean you have no designated body.
First, look at the connection recorded in GMC Online. If you work for a trust, bank or agency, use the GMC designated body connection tool to check which organisation, if any, should be responsible. The statutory connection rules decide this; it is not simply your choice of employer or whichever organisation you work at most.
When will the GMC ask, and when is it due?
The GMC generally asks doctors without a connection to complete an annual return once a year and gives at least three months’ notice. You submit it by the deadline stated in GMC Online. That deadline is not the date you should be arranging your annual appraisal for the first time.
In practice, I sometimes speak to doctors who have waited for their annual-return email before booking an appraisal. By then they might have gone 15–18 months since their last review. It is much easier to keep to a roughly annual appraisal rhythm and have the paperwork ready when the GMC writes.
Example timeline
| During the year | When GMC contacts you | Before the deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Keep CPD, quality improvement and practice history; book annual appraisal | Check the exact requested period and required documents | Submit the online return, requested evidence and fee; save confirmation |
How do I submit the annual return?
Normally you use GMC Online after the GMC has issued its request. The downloadable paper REV10 is not a general alternative: the current paper form says it is for doctors who have been asked for a return and cannot complete it online.
Before starting, have your employment dates, addresses and contact details, appraisal date and report, and relevant overseas registration details to hand. Follow the instructions in your GMC Online account rather than sending documents speculatively.
REV10: what goes in each section?
Section 1 — Your personal and contact details
This is straightforward: GMC number, name, date of birth, address and contact details. Make sure these match GMC Online. Inaccurate contact information can mean missing important correspondence.
Section 2 — Your employment and practice history
This is where I would spend a little time getting the dates right. The current paper REV10 asks for all roles held in the last 12 months, newest first, including unpaid work, non-clinical medical roles and breaks. It also asks whether you had direct patient contact and whether you were working in a medical capacity.
Think beyond just your paid NHS shifts. Include clinical fellow posts, agency locums, teaching, health-security roles, medico-legal work, public health, observerships where relevant, and periods when you were not practising. Use additional rows or continuation sections for multiple jobs.
| Example period | What to record |
|---|---|
| September–December | Locum SHO, General Medicine; name the agency/trust and nature of duties |
| January–March | University teaching fellow; describe teaching, assessment and educational responsibilities |
| April–August | Career break / overseas travel; explicitly account for this period |
Section 3 — Evidence of good standing
The GMC asks whether you provided medical services during the last 12 months. Where you did, record the organisations and appropriate contacts. It may request a Medical Services Statement (MSS) from employers or other organisations. You do not need to assume that every MSS must be obtained in advance; follow what the GMC requests.
The form also asks about work or medical registration overseas. You may need a Certificate of Good Standing (CGS), including for overseas registration even when you did not practise there. For multiple employers or overseas regulators, use the continuation sections available.
Section 4 — Fitness to practise declaration
Read the question carefully and answer it accurately. The official paper form addresses relevant proceedings, acts or omissions, and explains when supplementary details are required. If something is declarable, give the dates, circumstances, any investigations and the outcome. Do not omit a matter because it is awkward, and do not disclose irrelevant clinical details unnecessarily.
The current form says the declaration relates to matters since your last relevant declaration and is valid for three months, so it may need refreshing if your application is prolonged. Use the GMC’s declaration guidance for a borderline question.
Section 5 — Your annual appraisal and supporting information
This is where REV10 connects with the appraisal you have already completed. Enter the genuine appraisal date and the requested appraiser details. The current paper form requires a completed appraiser report for the relevant appraisal when applicable; ask your appraiser about REV12.
It also asks you to confirm or explain engagement with CPD, quality improvement, review of significant events, patient and colleague feedback, and complaints and compliments. This does not mean a fresh formal patient-feedback survey or full audit is required in every single appraisal year. If a particular activity did not take place in the period, give an accurate explanation rather than ticking a box that does not apply.
| What it asks about | What to have ready |
|---|---|
| CPD | Your learning log: mandatory training, teaching, grand rounds, M&M, MDTs, webinars, e-learning, courses, podcasts and relevant study |
| Quality improvement | A short audit, 2–3 evidenced case-based discussions, teaching with feedback, guideline critique or another appropriate activity |
| Significant events / complaints | Accurate declarations and any learning discussed at appraisal |
| Feedback | Patient and colleague feedback completed where applicable, plus relevant routine feedback and an explanation where none was collected |
| Appraisal | Date, appraiser report/REV12 when required and the completed appraisal PDF |
Sections 6 and 7 — Declaration and evidence checklist
Check the return for omissions, make the final declaration, and follow the GMC’s checklist of required evidence. Keep a copy of what you submitted and the acknowledgement. Do not automatically upload your entire portfolio: the official REV10 instructions specifically say not to send supporting appraisal information unless asked.
REV10 versus REV12: which one do I complete?
This causes a surprising amount of confusion. REV10 is the doctor’s return; REV12 is completed by an appropriate appraiser and confirms the appraisal against the relevant GMC criteria. An ordinary appraisal certificate or PDF alone may not satisfy the additional documentation requested of a doctor without a connection.
When booking an independent appraisal, tell the provider up front that you are submitting a GMC annual return and may need REV12. Confirm that the appraiser meets the GMC requirements for the no-connection pathway.
What if my annual return is due and I have not had an appraisal?
The most useful thing is to get back up to date promptly. Arrange an appropriate appraisal, prepare a truthful account of the full period since your previous one, and tell the GMC if you cannot meet its deadline.
If you have missed a year, do not backdate the meeting or describe one recent appraisal as several past appraisals. The current REV10 form has space to explain why no appraisal took place in the last 12 months and, if a meeting has been arranged, to provide the booking details.
What happens after I submit it?
The GMC reviews the return and can ask questions or request additional evidence. This is not automatically a rejection. Examples might include confirmation of an observership’s actual activities, an MSS from an employer, a CGS from an overseas regulator or clarification of your clinical exposure.
Doctors with limited clinical work, extensive overseas activity or mixed non-clinical roles sometimes need to explain their scope of practice in more detail. The important thing is that the account is complete and the evidence matches what you actually did.
Does the annual return mean I have been revalidated?
No. The annual return supports an ongoing process. Revalidation usually occurs every five years. Doctors without a responsible officer or approved suitable person generally need to complete the GMC revalidation assessment as part of that pathway, in addition to annual returns and any requested verification of their work or overseas standing.
As of October 2026, the GMC describes the assessment as a 120-question multiple-choice test, usually taken in the revalidation year. The annual return is not the same thing as that assessment.
How much does it cost?
| Item | Illustrative charge |
|---|---|
| GMC annual return fee (from April 2026) | £307 |
| Independent appraisal — Medical Appraisal Hub standard fee | £349 |
| REV12 report — Medical Appraisal Hub | £99 |
| Example appraisal + REV12 + annual return | £755 |
| Separate GMC revalidation assessment, if required | £1,357 |
The annual-return and assessment fees are GMC charges published for 2026/27; the appraisal and REV12 amounts above are Medical Appraisal Hub provider prices. The assessment is a separate cost, not an extra annual-return charge. Check current prices before payment.
Your annual return checklist
Check that GMC Online correctly records your connection status
Confirm your annual return deadline and the last 12-month reporting period
Account for every role and break, including non-clinical and overseas work
Prepare employer/agency details and overseas regulator details
Complete a genuine annual appraisal and obtain REV12 where required
Answer the fitness to practise and supporting-information questions accurately
Send only the documents requested; pay the applicable fee
Save your submitted return, appraiser report and GMC confirmation
Frequently asked questions
Do I complete REV10 every year?
If you are a licensed doctor without a responsible officer or suitable person, the GMC generally requests an annual return each year. Only submit when requested and by the deadline given.
Do I need REV12 as well as REV10?
For the no-connection appraisal requirements, the GMC asks for an appraiser report confirming that the appraisal meets its criteria. Arrange this with your appraiser; REV12 does not replace the annual return.
Do I have to do another appraisal because the GMC sent an annual return?
Not automatically. If you already have a qualifying appraisal covering the relevant period, use its genuine details and the required report. If you are overdue, arrange an appraisal as soon as possible.
What if I have only worked a handful of locum shifts?
Record those shifts and account for the rest of the period. Continuing to hold a licence means you remain subject to applicable appraisal and revalidation requirements, even if your clinical exposure has been limited.
What if I have only done teaching, public health or medico-legal work?
Describe the actual work and why it is medical in nature, including learning and feedback appropriate to your scope. A non-clinical role does not automatically remove appraisal requirements while you hold a licence. The GMC may ask for further clarification of your practice.
Can I submit REV10 without an appraisal?
The form allows you to explain a missing appraisal and provide a future booking, but that is not equivalent to having completed the required appraisal. Act promptly and follow any instructions the GMC gives.
Do I need patient and colleague questionnaires every year?
No fresh formal exercise is universally required each year. Formal multisource feedback is normally gathered at least once per revalidation cycle, with appropriate reflection and other feedback considered throughout the cycle. Answer the annual-return questions honestly for the period specified.
Sources and review
- Last reviewed
- 24 October 2026