Appraisal after FY2: the FY3/FY4 guide

Licensed doctors outside training are expected to have an appraisal every year. If it has been 12 months since you finished FY2, you will generally be due for one.

That can feel disorientating. Your FY1 and FY2 ARCPs were organised for you; now you need to take the initiative and arrange your appraisal yourself.

Private appraisal involves a cost. The arrangements depend on where you work:

• NHS banks will often ask you to organise a private appraisal.
• Agencies may have arrangements in place and recommend a private appraiser. Costs can be between £500 and £700.

FY2 ARCP is prescriptive: a set number of reflections, DOPS and other assessments. Appraisal outside training focuses on maintaining your skills and learning.

The process is simpler to describe:

• Gather your evidence in appraisal software.
• Meet with your appraiser.
• Your appraiser writes a post-appraisal report.

There is no panel, curriculum or curriculum cross-linking.

Continuing professional development (CPD) usually makes up the bulk of your evidence and is more flexible. Learning can be included when you provide evidence and explain its relevance.

FY3 is a new appraisal year, so it should include new evidence. You do not necessarily need to discard everything from foundation training:

• Evidence generated after your FY2 ARCP can be included.
• An ALS certificate completed in FY2 that remains valid can demonstrate current certification.

Your appraisal is put together in appraisal software. Providers include L2P, Reval360 and FourteenFish. The forms differ slightly, but cover much the same evidence.

Medical Appraisal Hub partners with Improval, which we consider the most well-designed and modern provider.

Use this as your starting checklist:

• Scope of work – what you’ve been up to clinically.
• CPD – your learning for the year.
• Quality improvement activity – something you’ve done during the year to improve your practice. Examples include audit, a QI project, or teaching and case-based discussions where you demonstrate how these have helped you review and improve practice.
• Complaints / significant events – declare any.
• Patient / colleague feedback – formal feedback exercises are needed for revalidation, usually every five years, rather than for each annual appraisal, but there is a section for this.

Workplace-based assessments usually involve someone observing your work or discussing a case with you. CPD is broader: evidence that you have developed your professional knowledge and skills.

Examples include:

• A self-recorded case log with reflections.
• A list of teaching sessions you attended.
• Certificates from training courses or online modules.
• Workplace-based assessments, including DOPS and mini-CEX.

Formal patient and colleague feedback is needed for revalidation, which usually takes place every five years—not for each annual appraisal. You should collect and reflect on both at least once during your revalidation cycle and discuss the results at an appraisal.

You can use Medical Appraisal Hub’s portfolio area to store evidence for CPD and quality improvement throughout FY3.

You may want to give up your UK licence to practise while working in Australia or New Zealand, while retaining GMC registration. If you keep the licence active, you are expected to continue meeting UK appraisal and revalidation requirements.

If you are going to Australia longer term, you might want to seriously consider giving up your UK licence for a period of time.

For many FY3 doctors, revalidation falls around four years after FY2. Check your own date on GMC Online.

• Keep up to date with annual appraisals.
• Collect the supporting information you need as you go.

Doctors increasingly spend several years outside training. Keep your annual appraisals up to date throughout this period.

At revalidation, your responsible officer will expect you to have engaged annually in appraisal.