Leaving FY2 often means leaving behind a ready-made portfolio and ARCP timetable. An appraisal is different: it is an annual, supportive discussion about your whole scope of work, your learning, quality improvement, feedback and next steps. Here is how to organise it without overcomplicating things.
Is FY3 appraisal the same as ARCP?
| FY2 ARCP | FY3 / FY4 whole-practice appraisal |
|---|---|
| Checks progress against a formal training curriculum. | Reviews your actual scope of practice, learning, reflection and development. |
| Training programme arranges the process. | You may need to arrange the appraiser, evidence and meeting yourself. |
| Training assessments and portfolio are central. | An evidence-based conversation; not another collection of mini-CEX assessments. |
- FY2 ARCP
- Checks progress against a formal training curriculum.
- FY3 / FY4 whole-practice appraisal
- Reviews your actual scope of practice, learning, reflection and development.
- FY2 ARCP
- Training programme arranges the process.
- FY3 / FY4 whole-practice appraisal
- You may need to arrange the appraiser, evidence and meeting yourself.
- FY2 ARCP
- Training assessments and portfolio are central.
- FY3 / FY4 whole-practice appraisal
- An evidence-based conversation; not another collection of mini-CEX assessments.
Your FY2 ARCP does not count as your FY3 appraisal. Doctors retaining a UK licence to practise are normally expected to participate in annual appraisal, including if they only work occasional locum shifts. Exceptions and breaks should be discussed with the responsible officer or GMC as applicable.
Who organises my appraisal — and who pays?
Being connected to a designated body does not automatically mean it will fund an external appraisal. Find out both who oversees your revalidation and who actually organises or pays for the appraisal.
| Your FY3 role | What normally happens — and what to ask |
|---|---|
| Clinical fellow in an NHS trust | Ask medical staffing/appraisal team whether you are included in its appraisal system and whether the trust pays. |
| NHS staff-bank locum | Some banks require a minimum number of shifts or months before offering or funding an appraisal. A trust may accept the designated-body connection yet ask you to arrange and pay for an independent appraisal. Ask for the local thresholds and policy in writing. |
| Agency locum | Agencies often have contracted appraisal arrangements, sometimes with expensive private providers. Ask whether you can choose an independent appraiser and whether the responsible officer must approve them. |
| Teaching fellow / university post | An independent appraisal may be needed if the university or employer does not provide a medical whole-practice appraisal. Include teaching alongside any clinical work. |
Clinical fellow in an NHS trust
Ask medical staffing/appraisal team whether you are included in its appraisal system and whether the trust pays.
NHS staff-bank locum
Some banks require a minimum number of shifts or months before offering or funding an appraisal. A trust may accept the designated-body connection yet ask you to arrange and pay for an independent appraisal. Ask for the local thresholds and policy in writing.
Agency locum
Agencies often have contracted appraisal arrangements, sometimes with expensive private providers. Ask whether you can choose an independent appraiser and whether the responsible officer must approve them.
Teaching fellow / university post
An independent appraisal may be needed if the university or employer does not provide a medical whole-practice appraisal. Include teaching alongside any clinical work.
Before booking independently, check acceptance with your responsible officer where you have one. The organisation you work for most is a useful starting point for enquiries, but your designated body is determined by statutory connection rules — not simply the number of shifts you have worked.
What software do I use?
Unlike your FY2 e-portfolio, many post-training appraisal systems concentrate on preparing the annual appraisal rather than capturing each teaching session as you go. You can use dedicated appraisal software, a simple folder/spreadsheet on your computer, or Medical Appraisal Hub tools to collect evidence throughout the year. Keep dated certificates, anonymised reflections and any appraisal outputs together.
What evidence do I actually need?
| Evidence area | What to include |
|---|---|
| Scope of work | Your shifts, settings, specialties, clinical and non-clinical roles, approximate workload and any changes during the year. |
| CPD | A spread of relevant learning: workplace teaching, grand rounds, M&M meetings, MDT learning, courses, e-learning, exam preparation, webinars, reading and mandatory training. |
| Quality improvement | A small audit; two or three documented case-based discussions; a teaching session with evaluation; a thoughtful guideline/practice review. |
| Complaints and significant events | Declare relevant events, outline what happened, what you learned and changes made. |
| Feedback | Reflect on routine feedback; formal patient and colleague surveys are collected during the revalidation cycle, not every appraisal year. |
| PDP | For a first FY3 appraisal, the new PDP is normally agreed at the end of the meeting — you are not expected to arrive with a prior post-training PDP. |
| Declarations | Professional probity, health and other relevant standard declarations. |
Scope of work
Your shifts, settings, specialties, clinical and non-clinical roles, approximate workload and any changes during the year.
CPD
A spread of relevant learning: workplace teaching, grand rounds, M&M meetings, MDT learning, courses, e-learning, exam preparation, webinars, reading and mandatory training.
Quality improvement
A small audit; two or three documented case-based discussions; a teaching session with evaluation; a thoughtful guideline/practice review.
Complaints and significant events
Declare relevant events, outline what happened, what you learned and changes made.
Feedback
Reflect on routine feedback; formal patient and colleague surveys are collected during the revalidation cycle, not every appraisal year.
PDP
For a first FY3 appraisal, the new PDP is normally agreed at the end of the meeting — you are not expected to arrive with a prior post-training PDP.
Declarations
Professional probity, health and other relevant standard declarations.
CPD: what counts, and do I need 50 hours?
For most FY3 appraisals, plan to show around 50 hours/credits of meaningful CPD across the year. This is a widely used practical benchmark and one many appraisers and organisations expect. The GMC does not itself impose an exact 50-hour minimum: relevance, breadth and reflection matter, and local/college arrangements may vary.
| Category | Illustrative examples |
|---|---|
| Learning at work | Departmental teaching you attended during locum shifts; grand rounds; morbidity and mortality meetings; educational MDTs; journal clubs; clinical governance meetings. |
| Formal study | Conferences; external and internal courses; diploma or postgraduate modules; teaching qualifications; ALS and other relevant skills courses. |
| Digital / self-directed | E-learning modules, recorded lectures, webinars, educational podcasts, journal and guideline reading, evidence-based learning logs. |
| Exams and training | MRCP/MSRA preparation, structured question-bank work with documented learning, specialty application learning or portfolio-related teaching. |
| Mandatory training | Safeguarding, infection prevention, information governance, resuscitation and other role-relevant employer-required training. |
Learning at work
Departmental teaching you attended during locum shifts; grand rounds; morbidity and mortality meetings; educational MDTs; journal clubs; clinical governance meetings.
Formal study
Conferences; external and internal courses; diploma or postgraduate modules; teaching qualifications; ALS and other relevant skills courses.
Digital / self-directed
E-learning modules, recorded lectures, webinars, educational podcasts, journal and guideline reading, evidence-based learning logs.
Exams and training
MRCP/MSRA preparation, structured question-bank work with documented learning, specialty application learning or portfolio-related teaching.
Mandatory training
Safeguarding, infection prevention, information governance, resuscitation and other role-relevant employer-required training.
Do not submit 50 hours of almost identical learning. Aim for a range relevant to your clinical work and career direction. Document the date, duration, learning, reflection and how it may affect practice. Certificates are useful but short dated records can also evidence learning.
How should I log it?
Start a simple folder on your computer (for example “FY3 CPD”), save evidence as you go and keep a spreadsheet with columns for date, activity, time and learning point. Alternatively, use an appraisal platform or Medical Appraisal Hub’s evidence-collection tools. There is no need to recreate a full foundation portfolio.
Quality improvement: you do not need a huge QIP
Quality improvement activity (QIA) can be proportionate to your work. These are examples, not a prescribed menu or an automatic pass:
| Option | Practical example and evidence |
|---|---|
| Small clinical audit | Review a manageable sample of notes or prescriptions against a standard, report findings and record planned or completed action. |
| Case-based discussions | Arrange two or three structured discussions with a registrar or consultant, write each up on a proforma, anonymise patient details and record feedback and learning. |
| Teaching with evaluation | Deliver a teaching session, collect learner feedback and reflect on what you would change next time. |
| Guideline analysis | Compare current clinical practice or a decision with updated guidance, critique implications and describe how practice might change. |
Small clinical audit
Review a manageable sample of notes or prescriptions against a standard, report findings and record planned or completed action.
Case-based discussions
Arrange two or three structured discussions with a registrar or consultant, write each up on a proforma, anonymise patient details and record feedback and learning.
Teaching with evaluation
Deliver a teaching session, collect learner feedback and reflect on what you would change next time.
Guideline analysis
Compare current clinical practice or a decision with updated guidance, critique implications and describe how practice might change.
The GMC requires meaningful participation in QIA at least once in the revalidation cycle, with scale and frequency appropriate to your scope of practice. It does not insist that every doctor complete a formal audit every single FY3 year. Some local schemes may ask for more.
I have no FY2 PDP — what do I write?
That is normal. Your FY3 appraisal usually generates a new, realistic PDP. Think of two to four objectives you actually intend to work on, with a timeframe and a way to show progress.
Apply for specialty training, review the IMT person specification or strengthen the application portfolio.
Prepare for MRCP or MSRA; arrange a particular course or procedural skills training.
Complete a small audit/QI project or submit a paper, poster or publication.
Gain a teaching qualification, explore a master’s programme or develop an interest in medical AI.
Gather formal patient/colleague feedback while you have good access to patients and coworkers.
Do I need patient and colleague feedback in FY3?
Not necessarily. Formal patient and colleague feedback are revalidation-cycle requirements, not separate annual-survey requirements for each appraisal. They should generally be collected at least once during the usual five-year cycle and discussed at appraisal. Many commonly used questionnaires aim for around 34 patient responses and 15 colleague responses, but these numbers are survey or provider-specific conventions rather than universal GMC numerical thresholds.
If you are doing lots of clinical shifts now, FY3 may be a sensible time to collect feedback before your access to patients and colleagues changes. You can still discuss compliments, informal feedback and learning every year.
Can I reuse FY2 evidence?
You can carry forward relevant current certificates such as ALS and refer to achievements that remain relevant, but your FY3 appraisal should mainly describe the actual work, learning and reflection in the appraisal year. Do not simply resubmit your FY2 portfolio as if it were new evidence.
Designated bodies: where FY3s get caught out
If you are predominantly doing shifts through an NHS bank or agency, it is natural to ask that organisation about your connection. In practice, some employers and agencies are reluctant to take on appraisal and revalidation administration. But a designated body is not optional where a statutory connection exists: you and the organisation cannot simply choose to ignore it.
Check the connection shown in GMC Online and use the GMC designated body connection tool. Ask the bank, agency or trust to explain any disagreement. If you genuinely have no responsible officer or suitable person, you may need to arrange an independent appraisal and use the GMC no-connection route: REV12 plus an annual return.
No designated body: REV12 and annual return
The appraiser prepares a REV12 report after a compliant appraisal. When the GMC requests your annual return, you submit it through GMC Online with details of your work, declarations and annual appraisal evidence. The GMC normally provides at least three months’ notice before the return is due — it is notice of a forthcoming deadline, not a sign you have already missed it. Do not wait for that letter to start collecting evidence.
| Illustrative expense (October 2026) | Amount |
|---|---|
| GMC annual return fee (effective April 2026) | £307 |
| Independent appraisal | Varies by provider / arrangement |
| REV12 form preparation | Provider-specific; e.g. approximately £99–£100 with Medical Appraisal Hub |
| Possible later revalidation assessment | Separate GMC process and fee if required; not automatically part of annual appraisal |
GMC annual return fee (effective April 2026)
£307
Independent appraisal
Varies by provider / arrangement
REV12 form preparation
Provider-specific; e.g. approximately £99–£100 with Medical Appraisal Hub
Possible later revalidation assessment
Separate GMC process and fee if required; not automatically part of annual appraisal
An annual independent appraisal and REV12 do not by themselves guarantee that the GMC will revalidate you when your five-year date comes around. Doctors without a connection may face an additional revalidation assessment or another GMC-approved process. Keep all completed appraisal PDFs.
What if I travel or work in Australia / New Zealand?
If you will be abroad for a substantial period and do not need to practise in the UK, you can consider retaining GMC registration but giving up your UK licence to practise. Without a UK licence, you are not subject to ongoing UK revalidation requirements, and the registration fee is lower. The downside is that you cannot take up work requiring that licence until it is restored; restoration is an application, not an instant switch. If you expect occasional UK locums or a short trip, retaining it may be simpler. Consider overseas regulator and employer requirements separately.
What if I return to specialty training?
In recognised specialty training, the ARCP/training governance route normally supports revalidation rather than a separate standalone post-training appraisal. However, FY3 may become FY4, FY5 or FY6; locally employed “IMT-equivalent” and clinical fellow posts are not automatically recognised training programmes. You can reach your revalidation date before entering formal specialty training. Keep your appraisal record current rather than assuming you can sort out several missed years later.
Complaints, significant events and coroners’ cases
Bring relevant complaints and significant events to appraisal. In most cases the useful response is a calm discussion, a short reflection and the learning or changes that followed. This is normally dealt with in the appraisal conversation, not treated as a punishment. Serious unresolved safety, probity or professional concerns may require separate governance action, regardless of appraisal.
A coroner’s involvement is not automatically a significant event. Equally, a serious incident can be relevant even if it has not been formally labelled as such. Be open, anonymise patient information and reflect on what was learned.
A simpler FY3 appraisal timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Start of FY3 | Understand annual appraisal requirements; check your GMC connection and who might pay for appraisal. |
| Throughout the year | Collect CPD, scope-of-work details, QIA, reflections, complaints and feedback as applicable. |
| A few months before | Confirm your appraiser and approval arrangements; choose software; set a meeting date; upload evidence. |
| Before your meeting | Ask your appraiser to review the portfolio and flag any obvious gaps. |
| After the meeting | Download and retain the signed appraisal output PDF and your new PDP. If no connection, follow GMC instructions on REV12 and the annual return. |
Start of FY3
Understand annual appraisal requirements; check your GMC connection and who might pay for appraisal.
Throughout the year
Collect CPD, scope-of-work details, QIA, reflections, complaints and feedback as applicable.
A few months before
Confirm your appraiser and approval arrangements; choose software; set a meeting date; upload evidence.
Before your meeting
Ask your appraiser to review the portfolio and flag any obvious gaps.
After the meeting
Download and retain the signed appraisal output PDF and your new PDP. If no connection, follow GMC instructions on REV12 and the annual return.
Quick answers to common FY3 questions
I only work occasional locum shifts. Do I need appraisal?
Normally yes, if you retain an active UK licence to practise. The amount of work affects what evidence is reasonable, not whether you should engage with revalidation.
Do I need exactly 50 CPD hours?
Aim for about 50 hours as a practical appraisal benchmark and show varied learning. The GMC does not require precisely 50 points.
Can I have an appraisal without an audit?
Yes. Relevant case discussions, teaching evaluation and guideline review can contribute to QIA. At least once each revalidation cycle, you need genuine, scope-appropriate QIA; not necessarily a huge QIP.
I am a teaching fellow with little clinical work. Do I still need appraisal?
Normally yes, if licensed. Medical education, public health and medico-legal work can form part of your scope of practice. Explain your actual work and any clinical exposure accurately.
Does my FY2 ARCP count as my FY3 appraisal?
No. They cover different periods and processes.
What if I missed an FY3 appraisal?
Get back up to date as soon as possible, keep evidence of the missed period where possible and discuss any gaps with your responsible officer or GMC.
Do I need patient feedback every year?
No. Formal patient and colleague feedback are normally gathered at least once in each revalidation cycle, not annually.