The main focus of the appraisal process is to support the professional and personal development of the doctor. To achieve this, appraisal must be a safe and confidential space for a doctor to review their achievements, challenges and aspirations. By participating in appraisal doctors demonstrate the key professional behaviour of learning from reflection. This reflection needs to encompass the entire scope of their work – be it in direct clinical service, in education and training, in research, or in what is broadly termed ‘health policy’.
The Medical Appraisal Guide 2022 (MAG 2022) launched on 8 June 2022. It replaces the ‘Appraisal 2020’ process created for the flexible restart of appraisals during COVID-19.
It builds on the successes of Appraisal 2020, but no longer focuses on the pandemic – instead asking what the impact of the period since the last appraisal has been. We have learned from what doctors told us they valued – a return to a more formative and developmental discussion, with less documentary requirements, and an opportunity to talk about health and wellbeing if they wish.
We have worked hard to ensure that the Medical Appraisal Guide 2022 describes proportionate appraisal processes that are appropriate for all doctors in all sectors and geographies. The core materials are available below.
The GMC have confirmed that these appraisals are consistent with existing GMC guidance for appraisal and revalidation
The MAG 2022 Template (which sits alongside the Medical Appraisal Guide 2022) is not sufficient to be an appraisal platform.
It cannot be accessed from any device, it cannot be filled in, it does not carry information forward from one year to the next, nor allow the sign offs or appraisal outputs to be completed. It is intended as a support for the electronic toolkit providers in developing their IT solutions if they do not already include the features identified.
It was developed in collaboration with key stakeholders from across all sectors and geographies, the GMC and the BMA. The GMC have confirmed that the updated process for appraisal continues to meet all their requirements for a model to support the revalidation recommendation by the Responsible Officer. We have worked hard to maintain the reduction in the documentary load for appraisal and the rebalanced focus on the personal and professional development of the doctor.
It replaces the former RST / NHSEI MAG4.2 interactive pdf. as the template to inform IT providers. The MAG4.2 has not been updated since well before the introduction of appraisal 2020 and now has structural problems. It does not open in most modern browsers and there is a risk of it crashing and losing the data.
Doctors are being recommended to swap to a platform that has been updated. The best providers have a good Switch function to pull in your previous appraisal information. The Academy is also aware that NHS England are steering doctors who have previously relied on the MAG 4.2 form towards an online service.
Individual doctors in England still have the choice of which appraisal platform to use (in Scotland and Wales, there are country wide appraisal systems).
If you have been a doctor without an online appraisal toolkit, it is now advised that you bring your work into one place where it can be securely stored and added to from wherever you are.
The MAG 2022 aims to:
The MAG 2022 is advisory because the statutory responsibility for the delivery of appraisal as laid out in The Medical Profession (Responsible Officers) Regulations 2010) lies with responsible officers.
For this reason local/regional requirements for appraisal may differ from those described in this document, but the principles remain the same.
The guide does not supersede or limit the extant GMC core requirements for revalidation or the guidance issued in the devolved nations that are set out in the following publications:
