Revalidation deferred for 1,000 GPs as two set to lose licence

A total of 979 GPs in the UK have had their revalidation date deferred and 8,678 have been revalidated, as of 14 October.

Two GPs have failed to engage with revalidation altogether, meaning their licence is at risk.

The overall GP deferral rate has dropped slightly from 11% in June, when 351 GPs had been deferred and 2,897 revalidated, to 10% according to this month’s figures.

In some parts of England the GP deferral rate was more than 15% in the first six months of revalidation, according to RCGP revalidation lead Professor Nigel Sparrow.

Both the RCGP and the GPC have called for a standard GP appraisal system to help reduce GP deferrals.

Professor Sparrow has warned that confusion over different appraisal systems could be leading responsible officers to take a more cautious approach with GPs than other types of doctor.