Quick Answer
Some doctors do not have a Designated Body because they are not employed or contracted in a way that creates a formal connection to one. This is more common for doctors working independently, in private practice, overseas, undertaking ad hoc locum work, portfolio careers, or doctors between substantive posts. In these situations, there may be no Responsible Officer overseeing the doctor’s revalidation.
GMC Annual Return The GMC Annual Return is a yearly submission required from doctors who hold a licence to practise but do not have a connection to a Designated Body, Responsible Officer or approved Suitable Person. It allows the GMC to check that the doctor is continuing to engage appropriately with appraisal, supporting information and revalidation requirements.
REV12 The REV12 is the GMC’s Appraiser Report Form for doctors who do not have a Responsible Officer or Suitable Person. It is completed by the appraiser after the appraisal and provides the GMC with information about the appraisal discussion, the doctor’s supporting information, their engagement with revalidation and any areas requiring further attention.
What Happens If You Have No Designated Body?
If you do not have a Designated Body, the responsibility for keeping up to date with appraisal and revalidation requirements rests with you. This will usually involve arranging a private appraisal, having a REV12 completed by your appraiser, and submitting a GMC Annual Return each year.
What Is the GMC Annual Return?
If you do not have a Responsible Officer or Suitable Person, the GMC will usually ask you to complete an Annual Return once each year. This is submitted directly to the GMC, normally through your GMC Online account, and demonstrates that you are continuing to engage with appraisal and revalidation. The GMC will usually give you at least three months' notice before it is due.
The Annual Return asks for information about your practice over the preceding year. This includes your employment and practice history, your GMC registration and licensing history, a fitness to practise declaration, and details of your annual appraisal and supporting information. You should be able to account for your whole scope of practice and provide any supporting evidence requested by the GMC.
As part of the return, you will normally submit the REV12 completed by your appraiser. The REV12 provides evidence to the GMC that an appropriate appraisal has taken place and records the supporting information reviewed and the outcome of the appraisal.
The Annual Return therefore effectively replaces some of the annual governance oversight that would normally be provided by a Responsible Officer. It is important to complete it by the deadline: engagement with the Annual Return is part of maintaining your licence to practise, and failure to provide information requested by the GMC can ultimately lead to action regarding your licence.
Who Needs to Complete a GMC Annual Return?
A GMC Annual Return is required for doctors who hold a licence to practise but do not have a Responsible Officer or a GMC-approved Suitable Person overseeing their revalidation.
What Information Does the Annual Return Ask For?
The GMC Annual Return is completed using the REV10 form – Revalidation Annual Return for Doctors Without a Responsible Officer or Suitable Person.
The form asks you to provide information about your practice over the previous 12 months, including:
your personal and GMC registration details
your employment and practice history, including any gaps in practice
details of the organisations where you have provided medical services
information about any overseas medical registration, where relevant
a fitness to practise declaration
details of your annual appraisal
confirmation that appropriate supporting information has been considered, including CPD, quality improvement activity, significant events, patient feedback, colleague feedback, complaints and compliments
explanations where particular supporting information has not been completed
your completed REV12 Appraiser Report Form
a final declaration confirming that the information you have provided is complete and accurate
The purpose of the REV10 is to give the GMC an annual overview of your practice and your engagement with appraisal and revalidation when you do not have a Responsible Officer or Suitable Person providing this oversight.
You can download the official GMC REV10 – Revalidation Annual Return form here:
What Evidence Will the GMC Expect?
For most doctors, the Annual Return is mainly about showing that you have kept up with appraisal and revalidation.
You will normally need to provide:
your employment and practice history for the previous 12 months
your registration and licensing history
your fitness to practise declaration
details of your annual appraisal
your completed REV12 Appraiser Report Form
confirmation that the usual supporting information has been considered at appraisal, including CPD, quality improvement, significant events, feedback and complaints
The GMC may also ask for a Medical Services Statement from organisations you have worked for, or a Certificate of Good Standing if you have worked or been registered overseas.
You do not normally need to send the GMC your entire appraisal portfolio. The REV12 and Annual Return provide the main summary, although you should retain your supporting information in case the GMC asks to see it.
How Does Annual Appraisal Fit In?
Your annual appraisal is a key part of the Annual Return process. If you do not have a Responsible Officer or Suitable Person, you will usually need to arrange an appropriate appraisal yourself and have your appraiser complete a REV12 Appraiser Report Form, which is then submitted alongside your Annual Return.
What Is a REV12 Form?
The REV12 is the GMC’s Appraiser Report Form for doctors who do not have a Responsible Officer or approved Suitable Person.
It is completed by your appraiser after your appraisal and is essentially a very short summary of the full appraisal report. It confirms that the appraisal has taken place, summarises the supporting information reviewed, and gives the GMC assurance that you are appropriately engaging with revalidation requirements.
The REV12 is normally submitted alongside your GMC Annual Return (REV10).
How Do You Submit a REV12 to the GMC?
The appraiser normally sends the completed REV12 directly to the GMC after the appraisal. They should also provide you with a copy for your own records so that you have evidence of what has been submitted.
What If You Have Completed an Appraisal Outside a Designated Body?
If you do not have a Designated Body or Responsible Officer, you will usually need to arrange a private appraisal, have your appraiser complete and submit a REV12, and complete your GMC Annual Return when requested.
The key point is that having an appraisal outside a Designated Body does not remove your responsibility to remain engaged with the GMC’s revalidation process.
What If You Have No UK Clinical Work?
This can be a more difficult area. An appraisal should normally be based on meaningful evidence from your current scope of practice, so having some recent UK clinical exposure can make the process much more straightforward.
For doctors who are not currently working substantively in the UK, an observership or clinical attachment may sometimes provide useful supporting evidence. Other evidence, such as structured learning, simulation, case-based discussions, CPD and reflective activity, may also contribute. As a practical guide, around two weeks of meaningful clinical exposure is a sensible minimum to aim for where possible, although this is not a formal GMC rule.
Evidence from overseas practice may also be relevant, particularly where the doctor’s main clinical work is abroad.
If you continue to hold a UK licence to practise, it is generally sensible to remain engaged with appraisal even if you have little or no UK clinical work. An appraisal may not necessarily be accepted for every future revalidation purpose, but maintaining an appraisal record demonstrates ongoing engagement and is preferable to having several years in which no appraisal activity has taken place.
What If You Are Between Jobs or New to the UK?
If you hold a UK licence to practise but are between jobs, newly arrived in the UK, or have not yet established a connection to a Designated Body, it is still sensible to consider completing an appraisal rather than simply allowing a year to pass without one.
Your supporting information may understandably be more limited, particularly if you have only recently started UK practice. Your appraisal can reflect this and explain your circumstances, current clinical exposure, CPD and plans for the year ahead.
Maintaining an appraisal record demonstrates continued engagement with professional development and revalidation. This may also be helpful if you later join a Designated Body and your Responsible Officer reviews your appraisal history.
What Happens When You Reach Your Revalidation Date?
When you reach your revalidation date, your Responsible Officer or Suitable Person normally reviews your appraisal and supporting information and makes a recommendation to the GMC. This may be a recommendation to revalidate you, defer the decision to allow more time to gather evidence, or notify the GMC that a recommendation cannot be made because of concerns or insufficient engagement.
If you do not have a Responsible Officer or Suitable Person, the GMC manages your revalidation directly. This will usually involve reviewing your appraisal and Annual Return history and may include a GMC revalidation assessment to demonstrate that your knowledge and skills remain up to date before a revalidation decision is made.
Annual Return vs REV12 vs Revalidation
It is easy to confuse these three, but they each have a different purpose:
REV12 – completed by your appraiser after the appraisal and submitted to the GMC. It is essentially a short summary confirming that the appraisal took place and outlining the supporting information reviewed.
REV10 / GMC Annual Return – completed by you, the doctor, usually once a year if you do not have a Responsible Officer or Suitable Person. It contains more detailed information about your work, appraisal, supporting information and revalidation engagement, and incorporates information from your REV12.
Revalidation – usually takes place every five years. If you have a Designated Body, your Responsible Officer makes a recommendation to the GMC. If you have no Responsible Officer or Suitable Person, the GMC manages the process directly and this may include a GMC revalidation assessment before a decision is made.
Sources / Last Reviewed
This guide is based on the following General Medical Council (GMC) guidance and forms:
GMC – Revalidation for doctors with no connection https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/managing-your-registration/revalidation/revalidation-for-doctors/revalidation-for-doctors-with-no-connection
GMC – Additional requirements for doctors without a connection https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/managing-your-registration/revalidation/guidance-for-doctors-requirements-for-revalidation/additional-requirements-for-doctors-without-a-connection
GMC – Revalidation requirements for doctors https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/managing-your-registration/revalidation/guidance-for-doctors-requirements-for-revalidation/revalidation-requirements-for-doctors
GMC REV10 – Revalidation Annual Return for doctors without a Responsible Officer or Suitable Person https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/form---revalidation-team---annual-return---application-form--rev10----dc4942-54167962.pdf
GMC REV12 – Revalidation Appraiser Report Form https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/form---revalidation---annual-return-appraiser-report-form--rev12----dc4944_pdf-54168257.pdf
GMC – Find your connection for revalidation https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/managing-your-registration/revalidation/my-db-tool
Last reviewed: September 2026
GMC requirements and forms can change, so always check the GMC website for the latest version before submitting an Annual Return or REV12.