The CPD framework

CPD and COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of educational meetings and courses may be cancelled. While this will reduce your access to some educational resources, the 2019 RCOG CPD Framework includes a variety of alternative activities, such as eLearning, TOG questions and experiential learning (e.g. learning from discussions with peers, learning from cases, self-directed personal learning prompted by clinical experiences and reading).

If you are still following the previous CPD programme, we would also encourage you to use these alternative methods of learning.

The College recommends that Fellows, Members and Associates participate in the RCOG CPD programme at the rate of 50 CPD credits per year. However, in terms of appraisal and revalidation, the GMC’s CPD guidance does not set a requirement of a specific number of credits per year. Therefore, especially in view of the current circumstances, your appraiser may be willing to sign off your CPD even if you have not achieved the College’s credit recommendations. Please see the GMC CPD guidance.

We strongly advise that you discuss your learning objectives with your appraiser in advance of appraisal. The College also urges appraisers to apply flexibility in terms of CPD recommendations during this difficult period.

We recommend that doctors working in healthcare settings outside the UK where formal appraisal is not routine should discuss their learning objectives in informal meetings between colleagues.

The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG)

Covid-19 update: Print and distribution suspended
Owing to ongoing effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the printing and distribution of hard copies of TOG to RCOG members is currently suspended.
This means that, unfortunately, you will not be receiving your usual print copy of TOG in January.
All of the usual high-quality content, plus additional online-only content such as infographics and videos, will be available on the TOG app and TOG online, and we will alert you when the October issue is available. We hope to resume print copies of TOG when circumstances allow.You can access the journal online by signing into the College website and navigating to the ‘My Benefits’ section of your account.

The CPD framework

New for 2019, the College has redeveloped and enhanced our professional development (CPD) framework (PDF).

We also have a brand new CPD ePortfolio to support it.

This change will affect all doctors who use the College’s CPD programme, and also your appraisers.

What has changed?

The College’s CPD framework has been updated to support the recommendations of the RCOG report, Becoming Tomorrow’s Specialist. It also reflects the feedback we have received from you about the current CPD programme, and contains many of the improvements you have requested.

This new framework is more open and less prescriptive than the last – it allows you to record any learning that you feel is relevant to your professional development, and you can tailor the programme to meet your requirements. It can now cover your entire role – not just the clinical elements, but also your non-clinical wider professional skills. And it has been designed to reflect the most recent insights into successful learning and development.

It is simpler, too – you will no longer use ‘cycles’, with arbitrary start and end dates. Instead, you will be able to generate reports on any period you choose, and filter those reports to only show the information you require.

All of these changes in the programme mean there is also a brand new CPD ePortfolio to support it. This is a brand new, dedicated website for CPD – and it should be much quicker and easier to use, at a desk, on a tablet, and on your phone.