Am I eligible to appeal?
There are two stages to the appeal process – review and appeal. Outcomes 2, 3 and 4 will be initially reviewed by the original ARCP panel. If the outcome is upheld or changed and you still disagree with the outcome, you can request to proceed to a formal appeal. The appeal is only applicable to outcomes 3 and 4. If you wish to appeal/review your ARCP outcome, you must submit your Trainee’s Statement of ARCP Review/Appeal form within the 10-day deadline specified on your ARCP outcome letter. Requests outside of this deadline will not normally be accepted.
I am a Foundation trainee, is the review/appeal process applicable to me?
FY1 doctors in receipt of an outcome 4 who have graduated from a UK-based Medical School/University, and wish to appeal the outcome, should submit their appeal to the PGD within NHS England who will liaise with the Medical School/University accordingly.
The Medical School/University will normally conduct the appeal process (in accordance with GMC policy [Foundation Reference Guide 4.118]).
FY1 non-UK graduates and all FY2 trainees should follow the NHS England appeal process.
I have submitted my Trainee Statement of Review/Appeal form, what happens now?
Your statement will be reviewed by the Deputy Dean and confirmed if your request to review/appeal your ARCP outcome can proceed. Most cases will go to the first review step where the original ARCP panel will review the outcome again and determine whether to uphold or overturn their decision. We will write to you to confirm the details. You will not attend the review.
In some cases (outcome 3 or 4 only) it may be decided to proceed straight to the formal appeal, we will write to you to confirm if applicable.
Following the review, if you have been issued an outcome 3 or 4 and are still in disagreement with the outcome, you can proceed to a formal appeal. We will write to you following the review to confirm the outcome and provide further details on how to proceed to an appeal. This option is not available for those in receipt of an outcome 2, the review decision is final.
What happens at the review?
The original ARCP panel will reconvene, either in person or remotely (phone or virtual). They will re-examine your ePortfolio, taking into consideration the information provided in your Trainee Statement of Review/Appeal form. The panel will decide to uphold their original decision or overturn this and issue a new ARCP outcome. We will write to you following the review to confirm the outcome.
Can I withdraw my appeal request?
You may withdraw your request at any stage of the process. If the you wish to withdraw your appeal, you must write to the Postgraduate Dean (or nominated representative) and the Programme Support Team (details provided on the ARCP outcome letter).
I’m not happy with the new outcome, can I appeal again?
If your ARCP outcome was changed to an outcome 2 at the review stage of the process there is no further route of appeal, this decision is final.
If your ARCP outcome was changed to an outcome 3 at the review stage of the process, you can still proceed to a full appeal.
If your ARCP outcome is changed at the appeal hearing, there is no further internal avenue of appeal. The decision is final.
When will my appeal take place?
Once you have confirmed you wish to proceed to the appeal stage of the process, we will finalise the arrangements and write to you to confirm the date, time and venue of the appeal hearing.
I have received confirmation of my appeal but I am unavailable on that date, can this be changed?
The Trainee or the Postgraduate Dean may apply for a postponement of proceedings. In doing so, the reasons for requesting the postponement should be submitted in writing to the Chair of the Panel.
Where a Trainee or their representative are unavailable to attend, the Appeal Hearing will normally only be rearranged on one further occasion.
What if I am unable to attend on the day (e.g. ill health)?
If you are unable to attend on the day, please contact the Programme Support Team at your earliest opportunity. The chair will decide whether the appeal should go ahead in your absence or if this will be postponed.
My appeal date has had to be rescheduled at the last minute, what happens next?
On the rare occasion that your appeal is rescheduled, the Panel Chair will write to you to explain the reasons and to confirm that an alternative date will be arranged.
Who is on the appeal panel?
This differs depending on your specialty due to the different guidance that is in place.
Foundation and Specialty trainees:
The Appeal Panel should consist of no fewer than 3 individuals, and could comprise of the following:
- the Postgraduate Dean or a nominated representative as Chair;
- a College/Faculty representative from outside the locality and from the same specialty as the Trainee;
- a senior doctor (e.g. from within the same locality as the Trainee and from the same specialty as the Trainee;
- a senior doctor from the same locality as the Trainee and from a different specialty to the Trainee;
- a senior Trainee from a different specialty to the Trainee;
- a lay representative
Dental trainees:
The Panel should constitute from all following representatives:
- the PGDD or a nominated representative as Chair
- a senior clinician from the specialty with training experience (e.g. TPD, Educational Supervisor, etc)
- a senior clinician from a different specialty with training experience (e.g. TPD, Educational Supervisor, etc)
- a lay representative.
What happens on the day of the appeal?
You will be allocated a waiting room for you and your representative (if you choose to bring one) and you will be collected from here at the time of the appeal.
In attendance will be the appeal panel and Programme Support note taker. You (and your representative) will be invited into the room at the same time as the School representative who will put forward the case of the original ARCP outcome.
You will then present your case, followed by questions from the appeal panel and School representative.
The School representative will then present their case, followed by questions from the appeal panel. You also have the opportunity to ask questions of the School at this point.
You (and your representative if applicable) and the School representative will be asked to leave the room while the panel deliberate.
You will all be invited back into the room to be informed of the outcome.
You will receive confirmation of the outcome in writing in the days following the appeal hearing.
I would like to bring a representative with me to the appeal hearing, is this possible?
Trainees have a right to be represented at an Appeal Hearing, to address it and to submit written evidence beforehand.
Trainees should consider representation as soon as possible, and where possible supply the School Support Team with the name, contact details and the professional capacity (if applicable) of any representative or adviser who will be attending the appeals panel with them.
The Trainee may choose to be represented, for example, by a friend, colleague or a representative of their professional body.
In addition, the Trainee may also wish to bring a friend or family member who can arrive with them and provide support on the day including after the Appeal Hearing.
Whilst it is helpful for NHS England to be aware in advance if you are bringing a representative with you on the day, it is not a mandatory requirement to do so.
What should I include as my supporting evidence?
Your documentation should provide factual evidence to support your grounds for appeal. This will vary from case to case depending on the reason for appeal but could include workplace-based assessments, exam results, medical evidence (GP letter, occupational health report) etc.
For example, you may have been issued an adverse outcome due to missing ePortfolio evidence. You may support your appeal with the evidence that this had been completed at the time of your ARCP and was available on your ePortfolio.
Your submission is not limited to the period of training considered by the most recent ARCP Panel. You may wish to include evidence and/or information relating to other timescales within your training which you feel are relevant to your appeal.
Please note: If the missing competencies have been completed after the ARCP took place, this does not count towards your appeal.
Your evidence, along with the evidence from the School, will be grouped into the Appeal Pack. This will be circulated electronically with you and all panel members no later than 5 days in advance of the appeal hearing.
I would like to submit some more evidence, but the deadline has passed, what should I do?
Any documentation submitted after the official deadline will only be considered at the discretion of the Chair of the appeal panel.
I haven’t received the documentation/Appeal Pack, what should I do?
The appeal documentation, known as the “appeal pack” will be shared with you electronically a minimum of 5 days in advance of the appeal hearing. If you haven’t received the pack by this time, please inform the Programme Support Team leading on your appeal.
When will I find out the outcome of the appeal?
The Panel will normally decide on the day of the hearing. If this is not possible, the panel will reserve their decision for a later date to be notified to the parties. A letter confirming the outcome of the appeal panel will be sent to you and other relevant parties.
I have received an outcome 4, what happens to my employment?
An outcome 4 means that you have been exited from the Training Programme. Whilst this outcome is under appeal you will normally remain on the programme. If the outcome 4 decision is upheld, or you choose not to appeal this outcome, your training number (NTN/DRN) will be removed and you will be exited from the training programme. This does not necessarily affect your employment immediately. You should seek advice from your employing Trust (HR/Medical Staffing) throughout the ARCP/appeal process to ensure you are supported and able to receive appropriate advice.
General Practice trainees will not normally continue in employment once the training number is removed.
I have been exited from the training programme and my appeal was unsuccessful, where can I get advice on my career?
There are many forms of career support you can seek; you may find the information available on this page helpful.
You can also request to meet with an Associate Dean for individual careers advice. If you wish to arrange this, please contact your Programme Support Team.
