Survey reveals revalidation ambiguity among locum doctors

MILTON KEYNES, U.K. - July 4, 2014 - PRLog -- ID Medical’s qualitative survey polled 250 registered doctors not currently connected to any agency as their designated body. The survey was conducted to gain insight into what doctors truly feel when it comes to revalidation.

Almost 79% responded ‘Yes’ to the open question - ‘Do you find there is uncertainty in the locum market on how to revalidate?’ with one doctor commenting, “As a locum doctor it is extremely difficult to collate all details required for revalidation since you are not permanently employed.”

The need for more support from locum agencies and the General Medical Council (GMC) is a particularly strong opinion among respondents with doctors stating there is not enough information provided, especially for overseas doctors.

Additional recurring themes include the challenge of gaining patient and colleague 360 ° feedback, with one locum doctor commenting, “Who will ever get to know me long enough to truly evaluate me?”

When asked ‘Is revalidation considered burdensome?’ 74% responded ‘Yes’, with one respondent expressing, “It [revalidation] takes several manpower days away from the frontline of healthcare,” reiterated by further comments; “I have to put my medical practice aside for days on end to chase bureaucratic paperwork” and, “We are constantly required to do things to prove our practices instead of concentrating on our patients.”

The survey also looked at the career development, reflection and quality improvement gained as a result of engaging in revalidation and although 59% responded ‘No’ to the question, ‘Does revalidation encourage reflection and quality improvement?’ commentary was generally positive…

• “Strict and honest feedback helps in professional development and makes doctors think about their career goals and objectives.”
 • “Revalidation is one of the very important elements of Total Quality Management.”
 • “Routine work is busy and you need prompting to focus on quality.”

Responding to the survey’s findings, Deenu Patel, managing director at ID Medical said, “Locum doctors’ service to the NHS is invaluable and for revalidation to work, every doctor, regardless of whether they are in a substantive or temporary position, needs to fully understand revalidation, be provided with the support they need and be able to revalidate when the time comes.

“Many locum doctors have expressed the need for clarity when it comes to gathering supporting information and feedback from their patients and colleagues. As a locum agency it is our responsibility to provide comprehensive information, supplementary to that of the GMC, and guide doctors through the principles and stages of revalidation.

“Many of our respondents stated in our survey that revalidation is all about good medical practice and quality improvement – and we certainly agree. Revalidation is essential but time is a precious commodity for doctors, so with the aim of reducing some of the pressures faced, ID Medical’s Revalidation Support Team works closely with doctors on a one-to-one basis to simplify the process, provide continual support and ensure they can focus their attention on delivering excellent patient care.

“Our focus now is to raise awareness of our additional revalidation support within the doctor community.” he said.

Notes to editors

ID Medical

Find out more about ID Medical’s Revalidation Support Team and service here (http://www.id-medical.com/locum-doctor-gmc-revalidation).

A model of revalidation will be introduced to the nursing and midwifery professions in 2015 and as a result, ID Medical will be extending its revalidation support.

Award-winning, multi-discipline healthcare recruiter ID Medical was formed in 2002 and is a superior quality supplier of locum doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and clerical staff, holding preferred supplier contracts with over 85% of NHS hospitals and private medical sector organisations.

From its headquarters in Milton Keynes as well as its Central London office, ID Medical provides practical, cost-effective and innovative workforce solutions, supplying over 3 million hours to the NHS per annum. Within each of its professional divisions, ID Medical has dedicated client and candidate teams covering the multitude of medical specialties and roles to ensure every valued customer receives its premier level service, ultimately ensuring patients are always put first.

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You can also contact ID Medical’s head of marketing Caryn Cooper direct on:

Caryn Cooper

head of marketing

ID MEDICAL - ID House - 1 Mill Square - Wolverton Mill South - Milton Keynes - MK12 5ZD
t: +44 (0) 1908 555 498   f: +44 (0)1908 552 825

w: id-medical.com       e: caryn.cooper@id-medical.com