What are Responsible Officers?

ROs are senior doctors within an organisation, such as the Medical Director. The Medical Professional (Responsible Officers) Regulations 2010 describe their function. ROs have a duty to ensure your designated body provides you with robust appraisals.

The RO is responsible for making a recommendation to the GMC about your ability to revalidate. Their recommendation will be largely based on information relating to your appraisal, in conjunction with other information available to the RO, such as disciplinary processes or remediation programmes. Your RO can make one of three recommendations:

• a positive recommendation that you are up to date and fit to practise
• a request to defer the date of your recommendation
• a notification that you are not engaging in revalidation.

• GMC information about the role of responsible officers