ARCP/RITA

Progressing in a Specialty Programme: ARCP/RITA

The detailed arrangements for Annual Reviews of Competence Progression (ARCP) are contained in the KSS Deanery manual on ARCPs. A summary of the guidance is provided below. It should be read in conjunction with Section 7 of the Gold Guide.

The ARCP provides a formal process which uses the evidence gathered by the trainee, relating to his/her progress in the training programme. It should normally be undertaken on at least an annual basis for all trainees undertaking specialty training and will enable the trainee, the Postgraduate Dean and employers to document that the competencies required are being gained at an appropriate rate and through appropriate experience.

Trainees who continue in SpR programmes will be subject to the Record of In-training Assessment (RITA) process which supports the relevant curricula. Workplace-based assessments should be used to provide evidence to support the RITA process.

Each year an ARCP Calendar will be maintained by the SWT at KSS Deanery. There are six predefined stages to the process. Where a school committee agrees to vary from this process this variance is detailed in school appendices (A-H) to the manual, which will be reviewed on an annual basis. Moreover, GMC requires each specialty to map its assessment processes against the approved curriculum and the GMC’s Good Medical Practice.

The SWT/TPD will contact trainees a minimum of two months prior to the ARCP dates identifying the following information:

·        the deadline by which their Educational Supervisor reports should be submitted to KSS Deanery OR;

·        the deadline by which their Educational Supervisor reports should be updated on their e-portfolio system;

·        to whom within KSS Deanery the report should be sent;

·        the date and location that the ARCP panel will sit.

The ARCP Panel meeting will comprise of two parts:-

Part A – the ARCP panel will review each trainee’s documentation and the Medical Workforce Professional Officer (MWPO) will record the outcomes onto the Outcomes Report.

Attendees: HoS, TPD, External Assessor (see 7b below at the discretion of HoS), Lay Representative and, where applicable, military and academic representatives. 

Part B – Where a trainee has been identified within the sub-set of data for external scrutiny (see 7b below), the documentation will be scrutinised by the External Assessor.  In addition all trainees where the ARCP process has raised a cause for concern will be invited to attend the panel and reviewed by the External Assessor in conjunction with the Lay Representative / Assessor.  This meets the Gold Guide requirements.

Attendees: HoS, TPD, External assessor, Lay representative and where applicable military and academic representatives

Some specialty schools conduct interim reviews in preparation for formal ARCPs and details on these will be provided on a specialty basis at induction and can also be referenced on the individual specialty school web pages