CPD Overview
Continuing Professional Development is mandatory for all doctors. The General Medical Council and the General Dental Council have clear guidelines for all the practising doctors and dentists for their CPD.
The guideline ’Good Medical Practice’ outlines the mandatory need for all doctors to keep their knowledge and skills up to date throughout their working life and to maintain and improve their performance.
CPD Defined
The ultimate purpose of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is to contribute to high-quality patient care. As the NHS aspires to become a world class healthcare system, its healthcare workforce has to equip itself to meet the challenges of such a mammoth task.
CPD is a way of developing ones professional as well as personal competencies which are vital in contributing towards excellence, efficiency as well as innovation.
For all practising doctors, the 'Good Medical Practice' document acts as a guide while planning their individual CPD .The areas for CPD are listed as follows:
- Establishing good professional practice
- Maintaining good medical practice
- Relationships with patient
- working with colleagues
- Teaching and training
- Probity and health.
The Academy of Royal Colleges has approved a list of ’10 Principles for CPD’ so as to align all Colleges when they set the CPD guidelines for their specialties.
Drivers for CPD
Revalidation is undoubtedly the foremost driver for CPD. Previously many doctors would consider themselves to be comfortable in their own area of service provision, without the need for undertaking any CPD at all. This led to some SASG doctors not engaging in the process as they were not expected to do so.
This is a vital message for those who are still unconvinced; CPD is mandatory for all doctors. Funding for various CPD resources is currently available through Frontier. ALL SASGs should take advantage of this golden opportunity.
‘Opportunity never knocks twice!’