HEED Position Statement: ARCP feedback to trainees

Introduction 

Annual Review of Competency Progression (ARCP) is the means by which doctors in postgraduate training are reviewed each year to ensure that they are offering safe, high quality patient care, and to assess their progression against standards set down in the curriculum for their training programme. It is also the means by which their full scope of work review is undertaken to satisfy revalidation requirements. 
 
Following extensive engagement with trainees, the Royal Colleges and Faculties, GMC, Educational Supervisors, amongst others, and a call for evidence, HEE published Enhancing training and the support for learners: Health Education England’s review of competence progression for healthcare professionals, in February 2018, which recommended changes to improve the assessment experience. 
 
Recommendation 5 from that report was: Formative feedback is crucial to empower trainees. As per the Gold Guide, ARCP decisions should be made in absentia. Therefore, post-ARCP feedback, including recognition of the achievements of those performing well, should be offered to all trainees in a timely and supportive process. 
 
This position statement seeks to clarify the operational arrangements regarding the provision of feedback to trainees obtaining satisfactory outcomes. 
 
ARCP feedback to trainees 
 
Post-ARCP feedback should be offered to all trainees in a timely and supportive way which minimises the need for trainees to take protracted time away from service and removes the need for additional discussion panels to be set up.   
 
There is a range of options available to support this, for example: 
 
• Remotely through ARCP outcome letters or via trainees being directed to the eportfolio ARCP outcome section, with planned follow up and with a clear feedback discussion at the trainee’s base • Locally delivered through, for example, feedback from the educational supervisor ensuring trainers are also informed of trainee outcomes in a timely way • For outcomes other than 1 or 6 the trainee could meet one, or sometimes two, experienced member of the Training Committee 
 
 Health Education England’s Deans January 2020