Clinical Academics - Secondary Care Appraisal

Clinical Appraisal / Performance & Development Review

In accordance with the recommendations in the Follett Report, all clinical academic consultants, and clinical academic staff below consultant level not in a recognised training programme, are required to participate in an annual joint appraisal with both University and NHS appraisers.

Participation in appraisal is a requirement for pay progression and plays an important part in revalidation processes. The Appraisal documentation for clinical academic staff can be found below. Please note that the documentation contains an Academic Appendix for use by Clinical Academics which covers the same areas as the Colleges performance and development review (P&DR) documentation for non clinical staff.

SOAR Online System

In order to streamline the process and minimise the circulation of paper records all Clinical Academic appraisals  are to be done through the NHS on-line SOAR system which can be accessed from the link below:

SOAR 

• Designated University administrator allocates appraisers on the SOAR system
• Automated confirmation is sent from SOAR to appraisee and both NHS and University appraisers
• Appraisee and appraisers agree date time and location for appraisal interview (this should be done outwith SOAR)
• Appraisee completes forms 1, 2 and 3 of the Secondary Care appraisal documentation (including the Academic Appendix)
• NHS appraiser creates the appraisal interview in SOAR and an automated email is sent to the appraisee and University co-appraiser
• Appraisee confirms acceptance of the interview date and the confidentiality statement
• Appraisee submits the completed forms 1, 2 and 3 and any other supporting documentation to the “interview page” allowing the documentation to be viewed by both appraisers
• NHS Appraiser creates and drafts form 4 and sends to University co-appraiser
• Once wording has been agreed between NHS appraiser and University co-appraiser, University co- appraiser sends form 4 to appraisee
• Final electronic sign off of the form 4 by appraisee completes the process
• An automated e-mail is sent to both the appraisers and the appraisee to confirm the process is complete
• The form 4 is automatically sent to the Responsible Officer for revalidation purposes and a copy is made available to University.

Confidentiality of the Appraisal Process

The content of the Appraisal interview will not be shared with any third party and is confidential to the Appraiser and the Appraisee, with the following provisos:

An agreed summary of the appraisal will be created (Form 4). The Form 4 will be treated confidentially and stored and processed securely. It will be available to future appraisers, your Clinical Director, the Associate Divisional Medical Director, the NHS Lothian Secondary Care Appraisal Lead and the Responsible Officer. For University of Edinburgh employees, the Form 4 is disclosed to the Head of School/Deanery or Head of College only if circumstances require this.

The Responsible Officer, or their delegated representative, may request access to all the documentation relating to an appraisal in order to obtain the necessary information to make a recommendation to the General Medial Council (GMC) regarding the revalidation of the doctor’s license to practice.

The GMC may request access to all the documentation relating to an appraisal in order to obtain the necessary information to make a decision regarding the revalidation of the doctor's licence to practice.

In the event of serious concerns regarding patient safety, as a result of an appraisal interview, an appraiser may wish to consult with the Appraisal Lead and/or Medical Director regarding the appropriate course of action. The Appraisee will be informed if the appraiser believes this to be necessary. In this situation information which was disclosed during the appraisal may be passed on to the appropriate authority, if this is deemed necessary.

Appraisal Forms & Documentation