FIPO Appraisal Services Update February 2020

FIPO continues to provide appraisals for consultants and GPs in the private sector. The appraisal service uses MyL2P.

All appraisers working with FIPO are recognised and undergo mandatory annual appraiser top-up training organised through FIPO via MIAD. For consultants and GPs who wish to be appraised, please contact the FIPO office at; office@fipo.org. If you are an appraiser and would like to join our group then please contact us at FIPO.

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, whilst the appraisal service continues to operate from October onwards, new guidelines have been issued so to ensure that reasonable safety measures are followed in compliance with HMG’s recommendations. For more information, please get in touch with the FIPO office via: office@fipo.org

The standard appraisal fee for consultants – £775

LCA discounted rate appraisal fee – £725

 

Read more below on the history of FIPO’s appraisal service

FIPO Consultant Appraisal Services (FIPO-CAppS) May 2012

The Board of FIPO took the decision in November 2010 to form a separate group to provide appraisal for fully independent consultants with practising privileges (i.e. with no NHS affiliation). This will be known as FIPO-CAppS (FIPO Consultant Appraisal Services). FIPO-CAppS will report to the main FIPO Board and will be headed by Dr Gerard Panting. The FIPO-CAppS appraisal system is based on the previous system employed by the London Consultants’ Association (LCA). The LCA Board has agreed to merge its appraisal system in to the new FIPO group. LCA members will be given concessionary rates for their appraisal.

Appraisal for consultants with an NHS contract will be carried out within their Trust. Those consultants who also work in the independent sector will need to provide a full report from every independent hospital they work in which should cover activity, complaints, incidents and also positive information.

Independent hospitals will only provide appraisal for those doctors who are actually employed such as Resident Medical Officers. Consultants with hospital practising privileges and without any NHS affiliation will have to obtain an “approved” appraisal and the previous “buddy-buddy” system will not be allowed.

As from 2011 appraisal has been strengthened and will be a vital part of the information which each doctor must take forward to his/her Responsible Officer in order for a recommendation to be made about their revalidation. Revalidation is due to commence in 2013 and strengthened medical appraisal (to be rebadged as Medical Appraisal Framework) must start in 2012. About 20% of all doctors will be put forward for revalidation in 2014 and those selected will need to have at least one enhanced a current appraisal plus a recent MSF (Multi-Source Feedback).

FIPO-CAppS has been set up with the sole purpose of providing the enhanced appraisal for fully independent consultants in a managed environment which is acceptable to both the Responsible Officers and also to the regulatory authorities.

At this time MSF (Multisource Feedback) has been defined by the GMC and every doctor will need to engage in one round of MSF in each five year cycle of revalidation. This will involve feedback from both peers and patients although it is recognised that some doctors have no patient contact.

FIPO-CAppS has been progressing and has processed some 50 appraisals for independent consultants in the last few months. This work continues and FIPO has also been running TOP-UP Training for appraisers and has also run a large and detailed Pilot Study in order to quality assure and test its appraisal systems.

Consultants who need appraisal should contact the FIPO Office here

Appraisers TOP-UP Training May 2012

The NHS Revalidation Support Team (NHS RST) has decreed that all appraisers must undergo TOP-UP Training with a prescribed course. Four members of the FIPO-CAppS team underwent NHS RST training themselves in order to be come tutors to other colleagues and thus able to provide TOP-UP teaching. Three training coursers have now been held by FIPO-CAppS between March and May 2012 and over 50 consultant appraisers have now been suitably trained in performing enhanced appraisals for colleagues. More courses will be held and consultants wishing to participate and become recognised appraisers may contact the FIPO office.

Consultants who need appraisal should contact the FIPO Office here

FIPO-CAppS Appraisal Pilot Study Feb 2012

In order to quality assure the FIPO Consultant Appraisal Scheme a pilot study was carried out for consultants in the independent sector with no NHS affiliation. 30 appraisals were carried out and the results were assessed with detailed questionnaires to appraisee, appraiser and Responsible Officer.

All participants were given a detailed feedback of the process. One novel aspect of this study was a review of the decision making of eight Responsible Officers. There was some variation in the ways in which the Responsible Officers made their recommendations about the doctors in this study.

This pilot study has been presented to the NHS RST, the GMC, the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the SHA London Responsible Officer Network Board and in addition a presentation of the results was given to 130 Responsible Officers at the RCS Eng.

A two part report has been issued. The first part of the report can be accessed on this website. The second report is a confidential and detailed report sent to all participants which allows all individuals to see in detail their own assessments of the appraisal and compare this with their peers.

Click here for a brief summary and conclusions of the FIPO-CAppS pilot study

Click here the general report of the FIPO-CAppS pilot study

Click here for background information about Revalidation

Multisource Feedback (360º Appraisal) January 2011

At this time MSF (Multisource Feedback) has not been fully defined but it is likely that each doctor will need to engage in one round of MSF in each five year cycle of revalidation. This will involve feedback from both peers and patients although it is recognised that some doctors have no patient contact.

FIPO-CAppS has developed an electronic MSF system which will be refined as and when the GMC recommendation on the generic MSF template is finalised.