GPs should collect feedback following appointments, GMC says

A report by the General Medical Council (GMC) has advised that patients should have the opportunity to provide feedback after every GP-patient interaction, which should contribute to the GP’s revalidation portfolio.

Sir Keith Pearson, the GMC's revalidation programme board chair, said plans to encourage patient feedback could include prompting patients to fill in a questionnaire in the waiting room following every consultation.

In his report, Pearson said: “I am interested in the concept of ‘real time’ feedback; feedback that could take place following any or all interactions a patient has with a doctor… Patients have said that this would be more convenient and would make the process less daunting for them.

According to Pearson the GMC should continue its work with the CQC and NHSE in England to reduce workload and duplication for GPs, and work with relevant organisations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to identify and respond to any similar issues if they emerge’.

Other recommendations made in the report include: changing the name of revalidation to relicensing, which he thinks would be more ‘meaningful’ to patients; earlier revalidation for newly-licensed GPs and GPs coming from overseas; tracking impact of revalidation on patient care and safety; reviewing revalidation requirements to ensure managers are not using it to deliver local performance targets; and reviewing how responsible officer conflicts of interest are managed.

Dr Mark Porter , BMA chair, commented: “While many of the recommendations will be broadly welcomed by doctors, it not yet clear how these will be turned into a reality.

“The BMA will continue to press the GMC and other bodies about the actions needed to relieve the unnecessary burden that revalidation can sometimes place on doctors, in order to ensure the process delivers for patients, doctors and the NHS.”