What goes in it
| Entry type | Counts towards | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical case review (CCR) | The 36 a year, and capability coverage | CCRs |
| Learning or significant event analysis | The yearly LEA, and coverage | LEA and SEA |
| Quality improvement (QIA, QIP) | QI requirement, and coverage | QIP and QIA |
| Leadership activity (ST3) | Leadership requirement, and coverage | Leadership |
| Reflection on feedback (MSF, PSQ, CSR, complaints, compliments) | Coverage; shows insight | MSF and PSQ |
| Supporting documentation (courses, teaching, OOH sessions, certificates) | Coverage where you reflect; mandatory items | Certificates |
Only CCRs count towards the 36. Everything else still counts towards capability coverage, so a well-written LEA or feedback reflection can fill a gap such as Fitness to practise.
The numbers by year
| Requirement | ST1 | ST2 | ST3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical case reviews (CCRs) | 36 per year 18 per review | 36 per year 18 per review | 36 per year 18 per review |
| Every capability evidenced in each review period | 13 of 13 per review | 13 of 13 per review | 13 of 13 per review |
| Reflection on feedback and other log types check current RCGP guidance | no fixed number | no fixed number | no fixed number |
Full time, per training year unless stated. Less than full time: per-year totals stay the same and each 6-month review needs a pro rata share; 6-monthly ESRs and 12-monthly certificates are not pro rata. Check with your deanery and educational supervisor.
Notes on these numbers
- Clinical case reviews (CCRs), LTFT: Pro rata: e.g. 60% = 36 per training year spread over 20 months, about 11 per 6-month review.
- Every capability evidenced in each review period, LTFT: Same rule per 6-month review period (not pro rata).
- Reflection on feedback and other log types, LTFT: n/a
- Reflection on feedback and other log types, confidence: medium. Our sources were partly secondary for this item: check current RCGP guidance.
How to do it well
- Keep a private, non-identifying list of two or three "loggable" cases after each surgery: uncertainty, a near miss, a surprising agenda, a guideline you had to look up, an ethical tension, a team problem.
- Write one CCR each week, ideally on the same day.
- Once a month, check capability and group coverage and steer the next logs to the gaps.
- Reflect on every piece of feedback (COT, CAT, MSF, CSR) within a week and carry one action to your PDP.
- Anonymise everything. If a detail would let a colleague recognise the patient, remove it.
Who can see it
Entries are normally visible to your supervisors once saved. Check whether your version of the portfolio has draft or private settings before relying on them, and never write anything you would not want your ES or an ARCP panel to read.
Common ARCP pitfalls
- Bunching: twenty logs in the last month of the review period.
- Descriptive case summaries with no learning or change.
- Counting CPD or teaching entries as CCRs.
- Identifiable patient details.
- Feedback received but never reflected on.