Quick Answer
he scope of work section is essentially what you have been up to work-wise during the previous appraisal year.
It might be an observership, it might be part-time locum work, it might be a permanent job, or a mixture of different roles.
Scope of work also includes any other jobs where you use your GMC number. For example:
Aesthetic medicine
Independent prescribing
Medico-legal work
Jobs in pharma
Other medical roles
As doctors progress in their careers, it is increasingly common to have multiple employers or different types of work. For example, a GP might work at two GP practices, work one day a week in pharma, and also undertake independent prescribing work.
Everything requiring a GMC number needs to be declared.
It is also reasonable to add other jobs to give context to your overall professional activities. This is not a requirement, so you might choose to include work such as med tech roles or previous work as a HCA if it helps explain your professional background.
Why This Matters
The scope of work section is important because your appraisal needs to reflect all areas of your medical practice.
The GMC requires doctors to consider their whole scope of practice when completing appraisal and revalidation. Your appraiser needs to understand what you have been doing professionally so they can assess whether your supporting information, CPD, quality improvement activity and reflections are relevant to your actual work.
What the Guidance Actually Requires
The GMC expects your appraisal to cover your whole scope of practice.
You must declare all the places you have worked and all roles you have carried out as a doctor since your last appraisal. This includes:
Clinical roles
Non-clinical roles such as education, research, academic, leadership or management roles
NHS, independent sector, voluntary and private work
Your appraisal portfolio should include details of the organisations and locations where you have worked, the roles you have undertaken, and a description of the scope and nature of your practice.
The purpose is to ensure your appraisal reflects the full picture of your work as a doctor, rather than only your main employed role.
How to Do It Properly
Completing Your Scope of Work
The scope of work section is simply a summary of what you have been doing during the appraisal period.
For each role, include:
Job role/title
Start and end dates (or confirm if the role is ongoing)
Where you are working
Include the organisation or Trust where you are actually working
If you are working through a locum agency, include both the agency and the end organisation/trust
Focus on the appraisal period
You do not need to list every job you have ever done.
The aim is to cover the work that is relevant to the current appraisal period and give your appraiser an accurate picture of your current practice.
Give enough detail about your role
Avoid just writing the job title. Include enough information so your appraiser understands what you actually do clinically.
For example:
Medicine SHO – General Medicine Ward
Better:
Medicine SHO – General Medicine Ward. Responsible for clerking new admissions, reviewing ward patients, managing day-to-day ward jobs, requesting and interpreting investigations, completing discharge summaries and escalating concerns to senior clinicians.
The purpose of this section is to allow your appraiser to understand your scope and nature of practice, including the type of patients you see, your level of responsibility and the clinical environment you work in.
See It Done
| Job or role title | Detail of work | Year commenced | Organisation and contact details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Observer | Clinical attachment within an adult mental health service. Observed psychiatric assessments, multidisciplinary team meetings, ward rounds and discussions regarding patient management. | 08/09/2025 – 19/09/2025 | Example NHS Foundation Trust – Adult Mental Health Services |
| Resident Doctor – Adult Psychiatry | Full-time Trust Grade Doctor role working on an adult inpatient psychiatric ward. Responsibilities included patient clerking, psychiatric assessment, mental state examination, risk assessment, physical health reviews, prescribing under appropriate supervision, MDT working and discharge planning. | 03/12/2025 – 10/04/2026 | Example NHS Foundation Trust – Adult Inpatient Psychiatry |
| Locum Doctor – Adult Psychiatry | Locum SHO-level role within adult mental health services. Worked within an acute inpatient psychiatric setting undertaking ward reviews, clinical assessments, documentation, prescribing, risk management and escalation of concerns to senior clinicians. | 29/06/2026 – 06/08/2026 | Example NHS Trust via Example Medical Staffing Agency |
What Good Looks Like Realistic worked examples, ideally weak vs better.
Example 2: Locum Doctor
❌ Poor Example
Job role: Locum Doctor
Dates: January 2026 – Present
Organisation: Locum agency
Why this is poor:
The agency is not where you actually work clinically
Does not identify the clinical environment
Does not describe what you do
✅ Good Example
Job role: Locum SHO – Acute Medicine
Dates: January 2026 – Present
Organisation: Working through Example Medical Staffing Agency at Example NHS Foundation Trust
Details of work: Undertaking locum shifts within the Acute Medical Unit. Responsibilities include assessing acute medical admissions, taking histories, performing examinations, requesting investigations, developing management plans under senior supervision, reviewing deteriorating patients and contributing to multidisciplinary team working.
Common Mistakes
Not completing the section
A common mistake is leaving the scope of work section blank, particularly if you have done limited clinical work during the appraisal year.
Even if you have only worked a small number of shifts, completed an observership, or had a change in your clinical role, this should still be described.
Being too vague
A poorly completed scope of work makes it difficult for your appraiser to understand what you actually do as a doctor.
For example, simply writing “Medicine SHO” or “Locum Doctor” does not provide enough information. Your appraiser may need to look at your CV to understand your actual clinical role.
The scope of work should provide enough detail about your clinical environment, responsibilities and level of practice.
Including too much information
The scope of work is designed to cover the current appraisal period.
A common mistake is listing every job you have ever done since graduation rather than focusing on the roles relevant to this appraisal year.
Previous experience can be included elsewhere, such as your CV, if it provides useful context.
Myth Trap
“I only need to include my main NHS job.”
Not true.
Your scope of work should reflect your whole scope of practice, not just your main employed role.
If you have multiple roles as a doctor, these should all be considered. This may include locum work, private practice, independent prescribing, aesthetic medicine, medico-legal work, teaching, research, leadership or other professional roles.
Your appraiser needs to understand the full picture of your work so that your appraisal, CPD and supporting information reflect what you actually do as a doctor.
Sources / Last Reviewed
Primary guidance:
General Medical Council (GMC) — Guidance on supporting information for revalidation https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/managing-your-registration/revalidation/guidance-on-supporting-information-for-revalidation
General Medical Council (GMC) — Meeting our revalidation requirements: overarching principles https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/managing-your-registration/revalidation/guidance-on-supporting-information-for-revalidation/meeting-our-revalidation-requirements-overarching-principles
Key points used:
Appraisal should cover a doctor’s whole scope of practice.
Doctors should include the roles they have undertaken during the appraisal period, including clinical, educational, research, academic, managerial and other professional roles where relevant.
The purpose is to allow appraisal to reflect the full nature of a doctor’s professional practice.
Last reviewed: August 2026
Author/reviewer: Dr Andrew Harborne