Our credit tables should help you to determine what activities count towards your CPD, and by how many credits.
These tables set out the permitted CPD credits in any given CPD year for common CPD activities. This is not an exhaustive list of activities. Other activities will be permissable as long as they are educational. Such activities should be recorded as any other and should be noted as 'self-accredited'.
All activities are eligible for 1 credit per hour as a guideline. Some activities are capped per year of CPD activity.
CPD credit categories
There are numerous activities that qualify for CPD credits, which can be divided into three categories:
C – Clinical
All educational activities that relate to the development of individual clinical or diagnostic skills or specialist knowledge update. This could include:
- educational meetings and conferences relevant to the specialty
- local or regional postgraduate meetings
- supervised learning (such as visiting a different department to learn a new technique).
A – Academic
All activities that contribute to the understanding of pathology, or the education of yourself and others. You do not need to work in an academic post to claim credits in this category. These may include:
- formal presentations
- lecturing
- teaching on specialty-related courses
- involvement in professional examinations, such as FRCPath
- publishing
- presenting audit and research findings
- postgraduate degrees and diplomas.
P – Professional
Professional activities are those that advance your ability to practise clinical skills and relate to employees, colleagues and patients. These would include:
- developing national guidelines and audits
- clinical review and risk management meetings
- local protocol meetings and other multidisciplinary meetings
- audits
- clinical leadership
- contribution to confidential enquiries.
This list is not exhaustive, but provides a comprehensive overview of the types of activities eligible for CPD credits. There are no credit limits within these categories, though your activities should reflect your practice profile. Therefore, you should ensure that you undertake a range of CPD activities that reflect the local and national needs of your practice and learning needs.
Please see the CPD credit tables below for an extensive list of CPD activities. Each suggested activity is accompanied by its credit value and the supporting information required for claiming these credits.
Meetings and Events
Activity type | Credits available | CPD categories and supporting information required |
Educational meetings such as lectures, workshops, journal clubs, grand rounds, teaching rounds or quality improvement meetings - credit for educational time | 1 credit per hour |
C, A, P Proof of attendance or self-accredit |
Quality improvement events - credit for educational time | 1 credit per hour |
C, A, P Proof of attendance or self-accredit |
Multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTs) | 1 credit per meeting |
C A reflective note, per meeting |
Quality and Audit
Activity type | Credits available | CPD categories and supporting information required |
Clinical audit certification, evaluated/certified by the College | Up to 5 credits per audit report |
C, P Proof of certification |
Quality improvement projects, including clinical audit template developments | Up to 5 credits per project |
C, A, P Self-accredit |
Quality improvement survey/study | Up to 5 credits per year |
C, A, P Self-accredit |
Internal laboratory audit | 1 credit per audit |
C, A, P Audit outcome from quality management system |
Devising/participating in interpretive external quality assurance (EQA) scheme (or equivalent) | Up to 2 credits per scheme |
C, P Self-accredit |
Education
Activity type | Credits available | CPD categories and supporting information required |
Teaching | Up to 12 credits per year |
A Self-accredit |
Preparing and giving a new lecture | Up to 5 credits per lecture |
A Self-accredit plus programmes |
Modifying and giving an existing lecture | 1 credit |
A Self-accredit plus programmes |
MBA/PhD/MPhil/MA/MSc/DM participation | Up to 50 credits for successful completion |
A Self-accredit |
Postgraduate diploma or certificate participation | Up to 30 credits for successful completion |
A Self-accredit |
Developing learning materials: e-learning, booklets, webinars and similar materials, updating curricula | Up to 10 credits per year |
A Self-accredit |
Examining
Activity type | Credits available | CPD categories and supporting information required |
Examining for post-graduate medical/scientific qualifications, or medical royal college exams , including RCPath Fellowship by Published Works | 1 credit per hour. Up to 10 credits per year |
A Self-accredit |
Authoring multiple choice or short answer questions | 1 credit per question |
A Self-accredit |
Authoring essay questions and model answers | 1 credit per question |
A Self-accredit |
Participating in a standard setting meeting | 1 credit per hour |
A Self-accredit |
Publishing
Activity type | Credits available | CPD categories and supporting information required |
Authoring refereed article in journal | Up to 6 credits per article |
A Self-accredit |
Authorin/co-authoring of chapter of book | Up to 4 credits per chapter |
A Self-accredit |
Authoring/co-authoring of book | Up to 30 credits per book |
A Self-accredit |
Editing a multi-author book | Up to 20 credits per book |
A Self-accredit |
Authoring a review article | Up to 6 credits per article |
A Self-accredit |
Authoring an editorial | Up to 5 credits per editorial |
A Self-accredit |
Authoring a book review | Up to 2 credits per review |
A Self-accredit |
Editing a peer-reviewed journal | Up to 20 credits per year |
A Self-accredit |
Sub-editing a peer-reviewed journal | Up to 10 credits per year |
A Self-accredit |
Member of an editorial board | Up to 4 credits per year |
A Self-accredit |
Referee for a journal | 1 credit per paper |
A Self-accredit |
Authoring a clinical case study | 1 credit per paper |
A Self-accredit |
Authoring or reviewing a quality improvement (patient safety) case study | 1 credit per paper |
A Self-accredit |
Reviewing a paper | 1 credit per paper |
A Self-accredit |
Reviewing conference abstracts | 1 credit per hour. Up to 5 credits per year. |
A Self-accredit |
Authoring a contribution to a journal-based distance learning package | Up to 4 credits per contribution |
A Self-accredit |
Presenting a short paper or poster | Up to 2 credits per paper or poster |
A Self-accredit |
Workforce
Activity type | Credits available | CPD categories and supporting information required |
College Assessor on Advisory Appointments Committee (AAC): reviewing CVs and sitting on the AAC | Up to 2 credits per AAC |
A Self-accredit |
Specialty Reviewer for job descriptions | 1 credit per job description |
A Self-accredit |
Miscellaneous
Activity type | Credits available | CPD categories and supporting information required |
Quality inspections: QAA, UKAS, CQC visits and similar bodies | Up to 2 credits per day |
P Self-accredit |
Performance assessment for regulator | Up to 5 credits per assessment |
P Self-accredit |
Research leadership: Principal investigator for a clinical trial/study | Up to 5 credits per clinical trial/study |
C, A, P Self-accredit |
Specialist case referrals including expert panels: Provision of expert opinion if educational (eg involving literature search) | 1 credit per hour |
P Copy of referral letter and anonymised reply or reference |
Membership of a Professional Committee | Up to 7 credits per year |
P A reflective note outlining meeting contribution |
Medical examiners
Activity type | Credits available | CPD categories and supporting information required |
Completion of 26 core e-learning modules | Up to 10 credits |
C, A, P Certificate of completion |
Completion of additional e-learning modules | Up to 10 credits |
C, A, P eLfH statement of completion |
Face-to-face training attendance | Up to 6 credits |
C, A, P Certificate of attendance |
Face-to-face training facilitation | Up to 6 credits |
C, A, P Certificate of attendance |
Joint medical examiner/Coroner training | Up to 6 credits |
C, A, P Certificate of attendance |
Self-certification
Activity type | Credits available | CPD categories and supporting information required |
Production of evidence based clinical standards or guidelines | 1 credit per hour. Up to 10 credits per guideline/standard |
C, A Self-accredit |
Reflection: reflective notes where learning has occurred, such as internet research, reading articles, colleague discussions | 1 credit per reflective note |
C, A, P A reflective note |
Sabbatical leave activity, such as training abroad or in another department | Up to 50 credits per year |
C, A, P Self-accredit |
Writing or review of research grant applications | Up to 2 credits per application |
A, P Self-accredit |
Review of ethics committee applications | Up to 2 credits per application |
A, P Self-accredit |
Author application to NHS or relevant research governance committees | Up to 2 credits per application |
A, P Self-accredit |
Slide club involving the study of clinical material, diagnostic case histories, feedback of results and participation in discussion groups | Up to 3 credits per slide club, 2 credits where unable to attend group |
C Self-accredit |
UKAS technical assessments of medical laboratories, witnessing laboratory tests, reviewing examination records/reports, commenting on competency/compliance to procedures. Also reviewing laboratory documentation/records. | Up to 30 credits per year |
P Self-accredit |
If you have any further questions about your CPD, please get in touch at [email protected].