Professional Competence Requirements for Doctors who do not see Patients
Clinical audit for doctors who do not see patients
You can still carry out an audit even if you are not in clinical practice. The principles around clinical audit can be applied to any area of activity you are engaged in. The following are examples of audits that can be carried out by any doctor who may not necessarily see patients on a day to day basis.
- Measurement of individual/ departmental compliance with guidelines/protocols
- Self-assessment
- Review/evaluation of teaching practices
- Evaluation of individual risk/incidents or complaints
- Skills analysis
- Peer review
- Management and retention of records
- Setting standards – guidance development in compliance with best practice methodology
For further advice and guidance on all of the above activities, you should contact you professional competence scheme who can offer guidance and suggestions in relation to carrying out Clinical Audit.
Continuous professional development (CPD) activities
From 1 May 2025 onwards, doctors will be required to record 50 CPD hours during a scheme year. The scheme year for maintenance of professional competence begins on 1 May and ends on 30 April. Doctors should record these 50 CPD hours across the following categories:
1. Planning CPD (maximum of 5 CPD hours)
2. Practice Review (minimum of 10 CPD hours)
3. Work-based Learning (minimum of 15 CPD hours)
4. Accredited CPD Activity (minimum of 20 CPD hours)
The above requirements relate to doctors engaged in the practice of medicine. If a doctor believes they may fall into the category of not engaged in the practice of medicine, they are advised to contact the Postgraduate Training Body operating their Scheme for guidance as to which CPD activity to undertake. You can find more information in our blog - New Maintenance of Professional Competence Framework.
Your postgraduate training bodies professional competence scheme can offer specific advice on any of the above categories of CPD activities that would be most relevant to your area of practice and should be contacted for further guidance.