AAC (Advisory Appointment Committee) Assessor

Role of AAC Assessor 

The Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA), the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM) and the Faculty of Pain Medicine (FPM) provide representatives to serve on the Advisory Appointment Committees for consultant, staff grade, associate specialist and specialty (SAS), and specialist doctor anaesthetist, intensivist and pain medicine roles.

AAC College Assessors help ensure that the appointment of consultants is fair, transparent and focused on patient safety. 

Key responsibilities 

Involvement in all stages

Assessors should participate in every stage of the AAC process, from shortlisting candidates to conducting interviews. If additional assessments (such as personality or clinical tests) are used, these should also be shared with the assessors.

Checking qualifications and experience

Assessors confirm that each candidate has the appropriate training and experience for the post. This helps ensure that high standards of care are upheld and that patient safety is protected.

Maintaining impartiality

Assessors must remain impartial throughout the process to ensure the recruitment process is transparent and fair.

Why become a College Representative on AACs

Becoming a College Representative on AAC panels offers both professional and personal benefits. 

Benefits of getting involved 

• Support national standards and share good practice in recruitment 

• Earn 1 CPD credit for each AAC panel you participate in 

• Gain 4 CPD credits by attending the in-person AAC training course 

• Develop skills in interviewing, assessment and decision-making 

• Build valuable leadership and management experience 

• Contribute to the College’s goal of improving patient care and maintaining high professional standards 

Essential criteria for becoming a College Assessor 

To become an AAC College Assessor, you must: 

• Be a member of the RCoA, FICM and/or FPM 

• Be listed on the GMC Specialist Register 

• Have practised as a substantive consultant in anaesthesia, intensive care or pain medicine within the NHS in the past five years 

• Have experience of recruitment processes

• Be familiar with and able to apply standards relevant to your clinical specialty 

• Understand professional standards and regulation 

• Be an experienced consultant, including holding a current or previous leadership role in management, service delivery, teaching or research 

• Hold current equal opportunities training certification 

How to become a College Representative on AACs

The following process for the application and appointment of AAC Assessors has been agreed by the RCoA Professional Standards Advisory Group. 

1. Submit an application using the form below. 

2. Your application will be reviewed and approved by the Lead AAC Chairs. 

3. After completing the required training, you will be added to the AAC Assessor list. 

4. The list of assessors is reviewed annually. 

Please note: 

All applicants must complete every section of the application form.

For all additional questions, please refer to our full guidance document or contact the AAC team at aac@rcoa.ac.uk or call at 020 7092 1571