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Medical revalidation - principles and next steps: the Report of the Chief Medical Officer for England's Working Group

This report, by an expert working group chaired by Sir Liam Donaldson, set out the principles and next steps for implementing revalidation in the United Kingdom. It is based on wide-ranging discussions of the proposals in the Government White Paper, 'Trust, assurance and safety - the regulation of health professionals in the 21st century'.

A new revalidation system is being established in response to concerns raised by the Shipman inquiry, and the inquiries into the conduct of a number of other doctors. In future, doctors will be required to demonstrate to the General Medical Council that they are up-to-date, and fit to practise medicine. Doctors who take part in revalidation will be granted a license to practise, and will be reassessed every five years.

The expert working group met five times between July 2007 and February 2008.

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