How to Prepare for Your Doctor Appraisal in the UK

Your annual appraisal does not need to be stressful. Here is exactly what to prepare, how to organise your supporting evidence, and what happens on the day.

What is a doctor appraisal in the UK?

Every licensed doctor in the UK must complete an annual appraisal as part of GMC revalidation. It is a structured conversation between you and a trained appraiser, reviewing your practice and your Supporting Information over the past year.

Over a five-year revalidation cycle, your five appraisals form the basis of your Responsible Officer's recommendation to the GMC.

What supporting evidence do you need?

The GMC requires six categories of Supporting Information for your appraisal:

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) — courses, conferences, e-learning, journal reading. You need at least 50 CPD credits per year.
Quality Improvement Activity — audits, service evaluations, or quality improvement projects relevant to your practice.
Significant Events — any cases where things did not go as expected, with honest reflection on what you learned.
Feedback from Colleagues — at least once in a five-year cycle, structured feedback from people you work with.
Feedback from Patients — at least once in a five-year cycle, structured patient satisfaction feedback.
Review of Complaints and Compliments — any formal complaints or compliments received, and your reflection on them.

How far in advance should you prepare?

Ideally, you should be collecting evidence throughout the year rather than scrambling in the weeks before your appraisal:

Year-round: log CPD as you do it, record significant events within days of them happening
3 months before: check your colleague and patient feedback is in order
4–6 weeks before: complete your appraisal portfolio and send it to your appraiser
1 week before: review your Personal Development Plan from last year and note what you achieved

What happens during the appraisal meeting?

The appraisal meeting typically lasts 2–3 hours. Your appraiser will review your Supporting Information, discuss your reflection on your practice, explore significant events, help you set a new Personal Development Plan, and complete an appraisal summary for your revalidation portfolio.

The conversation should feel supportive, not judgemental. A good appraiser will help you reflect honestly and set meaningful goals.

Special considerations for locum doctors

Locum and portfolio doctors face additional challenges at appraisal time. Without a single employer, you may need to collate evidence from multiple workplaces and identify a Responsible Officer and designated body for your revalidation.

Quiet Medical's compliance passport helps locum doctors store all their evidence in one place throughout the year, making appraisal preparation much simpler.

How much does a doctor appraisal cost?

If your NHS employer arranges your appraisal, there is usually no direct cost. However, locum doctors and portfolio doctors often need to arrange and pay for their own appraisal. Quiet Medical offers GMC-compliant appraisals from £299 for Advanced members, £449 for Pro members, and £599 for standard bookings.

Key tips for a stress-free appraisal

Start your portfolio early — do not leave it to the last week
Reflect honestly on significant events — appraisers value genuine reflection over perfect records
Make your PDP specific and achievable
Use Quiet Medical to track document expiry and collect evidence year-round
If you are a locum doctor, identify your designated body early in the year