ABSTRACT
As an educational concept, formative assessment has been around for a long time and extensively used for healthcare professionals in training. All community nurses – district nurses, health visitors and practice nurses – should be having appraisal or clinical supervision as part of that post-registration education and practice process. Senior house officers and specialist registrars have appraisal with educational supervisors, and general practice registrars undergo formative assessment firstly with the course organiser and then with their trainer when they are working in general practice. Peer appraisal was introduced in The NHS Plan in 2000 and is now a contractual requirement for all doctors as a way of maintaining their personal and professional development. One of the reasons appraisal seems to present a challenge for some health-care professionals is that it is also a familiar phrase from industry. Appraisal is an annual event and a cycle of ‘successful’ appraisals for doctors is deemed acceptable for their revalidation, with clinical governance input.
