Why do Doctors need CPD?
Doctors must maintain high professional standards constantly to deliver safe and quality care to all of their patients. A part of this is keeping their professional knowledge and skills up to date by Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training.
There are 338,327 registered doctors in the UK (GMC), and every single one has to register with the General Medical Council (GMC) to practice medicine lawfully in the UK. A compulsory part of maintaining their registration (revalidation) is CPD. Failure to comply with the CPD requirement, as part of revalidation, can mean the withdrawal of a doctor’s license to practice medicine legally in the UK.
The GMC withdrew 4,821 licences from doctors who failed to engage with revalidation. One of the reasons was failing to provide sufficient evidence (GMC revalidation summary report).
CPD courses most suited to Doctors
Doctors us
Very interesting course that will continue to be relevant. CPD has done very soundly about every language applied. Simple and meaningful, it wakes up the sleeping professionals.
Adewumi Adedeji Bello
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)
Well presented in an easy-to-read format. A comprehensive training guide that takes you through everything you should know about this subject. It provides a solid explanation of the law, the history of why these laws were created, as well as a detail on what is abuse, how to recognise it and a step-by-step guide of the referral process.
Fiona Hutchinson
Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Level 3
I really enjoyed this course. I was looking for relevant Information for my own role and the course covered all the aspects that I wanted. So very pleased and would recommend this course to all Care professionals.
Elaine Osbourne
Mental Capacity Act
What CPD courses do Doctors need?
Doctors need to keep current on the latest developments, legislation, technologies and treatments, which will require CPD in specific areas of medicine. The exact CPD training required will depend on a doctor’s field of practice and their employer’s and professional body’s requirements.
As doctors will see many different patients, adults and children, from diverse backgrounds, they will need to undertake CPD training relevant to patient care. They should also be aware of their responsibilities to others, such as their colleagues and the public.
The CPD courses that doctors need should cover their duties towards their patients, the public, employees and colleagues. Relevant areas may include health and safety, safeguarding, infection control, the Mental Capacity Act, the Mental Health Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), equality and diversity and even COVID-19.
A guide to CPD for Doctors
Good medical practice is the GMC’s core guidance for all registered doctors. It requires them to develop and maintain their professional performance and be competent in all aspects of their work. Competence means having a combination of relevant training, knowledge, skills and experience. Regular CPD training is a vital part of developing and maintaining competency.
Technology, treatments, standards and patient needs are ever-evolving. Therefore, doctors need to keep abreast with the latest developments, legislation and GMC guidance to ensure their knowledge and skills are current to provide high-quality patient care.
The GMC makes CPD a mandatory requirement for all doctors as part of the revalidation process. To comply, doctors need to properly plan their CPD activities, reflect on their practice and provide evidence. The requirements are detailed in the GMC’s CPD Guide.
There are numerous professional bodies and associations in healthcare and medical sectors that require members to undertake some form of CPD. Some may also require members to undertake a certain number of CPD hours annually. Employers may also ask doctors to undertake CPD as part of their role.
If you are not already aware of the CPD training required, you should ask your employer or appraiser and check current professional development standards for your field of practice. You can also think about where the gaps are in your knowledge and skills and which areas you could improve.
CPD courses
Many things count towards your CPD, and they should be relevant to you and your goals as a doctor. For example, you can attend seminars/lectures/webinars, read books/journals and undertake hands-on clinical workshops/peer reviews/work-based learning. You can also complete our e-learning courses, which can count as part of your CPD.
Our e-learning courses are CPD certified and accredited under the CPD Certification Service. When you complete your course, you will gain an accredited qualification and CPD points (hours). The more training courses you undertake, the more knowledge and CPD points you will achieve.
We have different levels of courses for some areas, e.g. safeguarding levels 2 and 3. If you are looking for more in-depth knowledge on a topic, then a level 3 course would probably be more suited to your needs.
To make the most out of your learning, you should adopt a structured and consistent approach to your CPD by undertaking training that meets your personal development needs as a doctor in your specialist field.
CPD certificates
Once logged in, you can work through your course in a few hours (depending on the type), and there is no time limit for completion. You can work through it at your own pace at a location of your choice. Very rarely do students need help, but if you do, our staff are here to assist.
After completion of your course, including passing the quiz, you can download your PDF certificate immediately. Our professional-looking certificates are fully CPD regulated. They can provide evidence of training to enforcement authorities, the GMC, professional bodies and prospective employers.
You can log onto your account at any time and download your certificates. You can keep them on file or email them through to others who require evidence. It is also easy to print off a hard copy of your certificate and keep it with your other qualifications and awards in your CPD portfolio. You will also receive a copy of your certificate in the post.
Logging CPD hours
Doctors should complete a minimum of 250 hours (credits) of CPD over a five year period (average of 50 hours per annum), which is recommended by most professional membership schemes to keep up to date in your medical speciality. The GMC doesn’t require a specific number of hours, but it does necessitate CPD activities to be undertaken every year.
Each of our CPD accredited courses will have a number of points assigned to it. One CPD point is equal to one hour of active learning, which means that you will get one point for every hour you spend on a CPD activity.
The number of points you will earn on completion of the course is in the course description, along with an estimated time to complete. This will give you your CPD hours.
You must keep a log of your CPD hours for the year and make a record of whether you have met your learning objectives. It is important to maintain an accurate CPD record as part of your CPD portfolio and personal development plan (PDP).
Logging CPD hours and keeping training records is not only compulsory, but it will also have a positive impact on your overall career in medicine and help you provide better patient care.
Keeping evidence
The GMC requires doctors to keep a record of their CPD activities, which will include:
- Your reflection.
- Your learning needs.
- Your activities.
- Learning outcomes.
Your certificates and any other documentation relating to your CPD should be retained as evidence. Some professional bodies require CPD records to be kept for a period of five years, and employers may want you to keep them for longer. You will need to check the CPD documentation retention times specific to your role and the requirements of any schemes in which you are a member.
There is not a prescribed format when recording your CPD. Although, you may be required to use a specific format by an employer or professional body.
Keeping accurate evidence of your CPD is important, as your CPD record may be audited by your employer or an external party, such as enforcement authorities and professional bodies. Keeping records is also a vital part of the appraisal discussion and revalidation process.
Renewing CPD certificates
It is recommended that you renew your CPD certificate every two years. However, you may be required to complete a refresher every year. This will depend on your work setting and what your role entails.
Refresher training also counts towards your CPD. Therefore, you can log CPD hours for every course you undertake, including those taken as a refresher.