Looking to Commission our Appraisal Services for your Organisation?
Dr Appraisals provides a commissioned, outsourced medical appraisal service for designated bodies and their Responsible Officers.
We currently deliver appraisal services on behalf of several designated bodies across the UK, including in the employment, insurance and research sectors.
Our model is designed for organisations that want a reliable, scalable, and stress-free appraisal service.
Have you always conducted your appraisals in-house, or are you looking to move from another appraisal provider? Whether you are a small and perhaps growing organisation, or are an established employer with a large number of doctors, we would love an opportunity to showcase our appraisal services and see whether we can help.
All appraisals are conducted by experienced UK medical appraisers and are fully compliant with the GMC’s appraisal and revalidation standards.
From our experience, organisations choose to outsource appraisals for several reasons:
Capacity & Resilience
Outsourcing reduces dependence on your organisation’s often limited pool of trained appraisers and provides resilience during leave, sickness, or organisational change.
Consitency & Quality Assuarance
Using a specialist appraisal provider supports consistent standards across appraisals, with clear documentation and structured outputs, reducing the load on the Responsible Officer and supporting them to make robust and defensible revalidation recommendations.
Reducing Costs & Budgeting
Commissioned appraisal services convert internal costs into a predictable, per-appraisal model that can be scaled up or down as required. The cost of training appraisers and administrative burden are two examples of where an organisation’s time and money can be saved.
Reduced Administrative Burden
We can help with appraisal coordination, scheduling, and documentation, freeing up your own teams.
Independence & Objectivity
External appraisers offer a neutral and conflict-free perspective, which can be particularly valuable for senior clinicians, medical leaders, or situations where internal relationships may affect perceived impartiality.
Experience With Complex Appraisals
We routinely appraise doctors who are locums, portfolio clinicians, returning to practice, or working overseas—cohorts that can sometimes provide more challenging to inexperienced
appraisers.
Patient & Colleague Feedback Solution
Dr Appraisals has its own GMC-compliant solution for formal patient and colleague feedback cycles, (also known as MSF, PSQ or 360). Rather than finding an alternate provider, it makes sense to keep it under one roof!
When one of your Doctors requests an Independent Appraisal with us
Some organisations are happy with their own established internal appraisal process but are approached by one of their doctors requesting an independent or external appraisal with Dr Appraisals. This is usually for reasons such as affordability, flexibility, or a preference for an appraiser who is neutral and external to their employer or organisation.
In these circumstances:
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Doctors do not need to disconnect from you as their designated body
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An external appraisal is permitted with the agreement of the Responsible Officer, which is commonly given
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The appraisal summary and outputs are produced in the usual format and shared with the appraisee and designated body
Responsible Officers should be satisfied that the independent appraiser meets all the GMC criteria that permits them to undertake independent appraisals. All our appraisers at Dr Appraisers meet these requirements, which are copied below:
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hold full registration and a licence to practise with the GMC
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have a prescribed connection to a designated body (or a suitable person that we have approved)
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be up to date with your appraiser training
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carry out appraisals for a designated body or approved suitable person
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have carried out at least five appraisals in the 12 months preceding an appraisal of a doctor who doesn’t have a connection
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be discussing and reflecting on your role as an appraiser as part of your own whole practice appraisal
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understand the context, scope and nature of work the appraisee doctor undertakes
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not have a conflict of interest with the doctor you are appraising
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not be in the process of licence of having your licence withdrawn
Individual Doctors Looking for an Independent Appraisal
If you are not connected to a designated body then we can undertake your appraisal. We appraise doctors from a wide range of circumstances:
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Doctors currently working e.g. unemployed, applying for their first job, sick leave, maternity leave, career break
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Doctors who are working abroad e.g. working under a licensure from another country, or undertaking UK work remotely
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Doctors undertaking private UK work
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Doctors with niche roles but still require a licence to practise
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Doctors who have largely retired but still has a role that requires a licence to practise
In these scenarios, we undertake your GMC-compliant appraisal whilst you remain unattached from a designated body. Most doctors will, at some point during their 5-year revalidation cycle form a connection to a designated body. Where they do not and remain unconnected, the GMC essentially acts as the designated body and undertakes the process of
revalidation.
If you are already connected to a designated body then we can undertake your appraisal. However, there is one additional step you must take. You must approach your current designated body (there is often an appraisal or revalidation team within the organisation) and advise them you wish to undertake an independent appraisal. Most of the time, the Responsible Officer will be happy to approve this request.