All consultant and career grade doctors must undertake a yearly appraisal. This is essential for the GMC revalidation process and an appraisee must provide evidence of compliance with the GMC attributes defined in the GMC booklet ‘Good Medical Practice’. The documentary evidence must reflect all aspects of both one's NHS and private practice: clinical, education, research and management. For those who practise in many different places the main employer is responsible for the appraisal.

Every doctor must be allocated an appraiser who is trained in this skill and who will review and advise the appraisee about the appraisal process. Both the appraiser and the appraisee are responsible for the process and if there are discrepancies or problems with the process both are equally liable. However, the appraiser can only be held responsible for the information that is presented to him or her. If, for example, the appraisee says there are no complaints about him or her and there are many which come to light at a later stage, the responsibility lies solely with the appraisee. It is wise to keep a folder with all of the activity that is done as an ongoing process over the year as, for example, finding CPD forms and complaint letters at the last minute is stressful and often unrewarding.