The place of 360 degree appraisal within a team approach to professional development.

The role of appraisal within professional development has assumed a higher profile in response to national policies including those relating to clinical governance and workforce development. Under the guidance of a service development manager trained in human resource management, a new interprofessional Primary Care Practice Team near Cambridge defined and implemented a new appraisal system drawing on the principles of 360 degree appraisal. The appraisal system was designed to support the service function and the team culture, and took into account good management practice and the requirements of partner organizations and professional affiliations. This paper describes how the system was introduced, tailored to the particular needs of the interprofessional practice team, and evaluated. Early experience suggests that the approach enhances understanding of roles and responsibilities and is supportive to interprofessional team development. It is well received by team members involved and by some of the external partner organizations. However, it is demanding on resources and concerns were raised about the completeness of this approach to appraisal.