Unlock Your Professional Growth: CPD and Revalidation Demystified

Are you searching for training that is both accessible and beneficial for your professional growth and revalidation? Make sure the training provider you choose carries the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Certification Service assurance mark.

What is CPD?

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the ongoing process whereby professionals actively participate in learning activities to cultivate and refine their skills. It represents a comprehensive strategy aimed at fostering continuous growth and proficiency in individuals throughout their professional journey.

CPD Requirements for GP Practices by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)

The CQC does not specify the mandatory training requirements for GP practices due to the varying role and specific responsibility of GP practices and the unique needs of the people using the service.

Each individual GP practice should decide what training is mandatory and how they would like to deliver it, make the training requirement clear to staff, and monitor how staff engage with the training.

During the inspection process, the CQC inspector will review whether staff are suitability qualified, competent, skilled and experienced to meet the needs of people using the services under Regulation 18 (Staffing). This review includes when the staff member started at the practice, if they have taken on any new responsibilities, and evidence of their suitability on an ongoing basis. This will also include how the practice identifies the learning needs of staff and whether they have appropriate training available to meet the needs of the services offered and scope of their work.

Examples of the types of mandatory training evidence that a CQC inspector may expect includes, but is not limited to: basic life support, infection control, fire safety, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, safeguarding adults at risk and safeguarding children (at role appropriate levels) and information governance. Alongside this, the inspector may ask for evidence that staff have training available specific to their role and responsibilities (e.g vaccination training, cervical screening programme training etc.)

Further information can be found on the CQC website.

What CPD revalidation requirements are there for General Practitioners (GPs) and General Practice Nurses (GPNs)?

To continue as a practising GP in the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC) requires a GP revalidation every 5 years. As part of this revalidation, GPs must show evidence that they are up-to-date and fit to practice via a digital portfolio. Within this portfolio, GPs must provide evidence that they have completed at least 250 hours of CPD throughout the specified period. It is recommended that these hours are completed gradually over 5 years (approximately 50 hours per year), however, there are no set requirements in place for this at present.

Further information on GP CPD requirements can be found at: the General Medical Council, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the BMJ

For nurses and midwives, the CPD credit requirements are lower. The NMC requires 35 hours of CPD throughout a 3-year period, with 20 hours being completed via participatory learning. Again, these hours must be recorded, covering the method of completion, a topic description and relevance to your practice, the activity date, the number of hours to complete the activity, the identification code and evidence of completion.

Further information on practice nurse and midwifery CPD requirements can be found at: the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

Seamless revalidation tracking

Save time for GPs/Doctors, GP Trainees, Nurses, Nursing Associates and Midwives by providing a general practice-specific revalidation tracking platform, such as FourteenFish.

Conducting appraisals and documenting CPD activities can be time-consuming tasks. With FourteenFish's cloud-based appraisal platform, you can effortlessly record data for your final appraisal portfolio, freeing up more time for patient care.

FourteenFish’s Appraisal Toolkit is tailored to assist healthcare professionals throughout their careers, enabling them to record CPD activities, learning reflections, and personal development plans conveniently. With the FourteenFish Portfolio app, professionals can even work on their appraisals while on the move.

It doesn’t stop there – FourteenFish also company provides support for Appraisal and Revalidation organisations through the FourteenFish Appraisal and Revalidation Management System (FFARMS). This system facilitates seamless management of all aspects of the appraisal and revalidation processes for administrators, and it is fully integrated with GMC Connect.

Save time with Blue Stream Academy’s FourteenFish partnership

Seamlessly export records of Blue Stream Academy CPD training directly into FourteenFish’s appraisal toolkit, all at the touch of a button. Simply select ‘Link your FourteenFish Account’ from your Blue Stream Academy Training Passport to get started.

To switch to FourteenFish for free whilst you’re partway through your current subscription, click here.To register for a new FourteenFish account, click here.

What GP CPD courses does Blue Stream Academy offer?

Blue Stream Academy’s GP eLearning and Management system offers a range of CPD online training, designed specifically for GP practices and professionals. From Atrial Fibrillation to Diabetes Awareness, and Sepsis to Information Governance – there are over 130 CPD training courses to choose from. To view a full list of GP eLearning modules, click here.

Healthcare CPD & Revalidation for Professional Growth