The principle of appraisal as a developmental (formative) tool to support doctors in doing their jobs better has become well established within the NHS as well as in independent practice.

According to the Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, a good appraisal can create the opportunity to agree service and quality improvement goals, but perhaps more importantly, it is the ‘main vehicle for personal growth and professional development’ (Donaldson, 2006).

Until now, doctors in training have fulfilled many of the requirements of a good appraisal through their supervision and assessment processes. However, they too have to ‘formalise’ these through a regular appraisal process. In this module, we look at how this can be done in terms of preparation, necessary tools and scheduling.

We also look at the requisite skills for the appraisal process and what appraisers and appraisees need to know for a continuous and smooth appraisal process to be established.

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