There is currently (as at July 2011) no approved online toolkit for GPs to use for appraisal purposes. As revalidation looms closer, this issue needs to be remedied, and a number of providers are jostling to produced an "approved" toolkit.
In the meantime, there are a number of online tools that can be used for appraisal purposes, or there is still the option of keeping a physical appraisal folder.

• The Northern Deanery has e-versions of all the paperwork needed for appraisal, which can be downloaded and saved or printed.

• The Wessex Deanery has a lot of useful appraisal information on this webpage.

• The original appraisal toolkit - "For GPs, consultants, and staff grade and associate specialist doctors, a secure online service to support annual appraisal." (£50 + VAT per year)

• RCGP Revalidation Portfolio - "The Revalidation ePortfolio has been developed by the RCGP, working closely with GPs, to ensure that it will support the needs of GPs, GP appraisers and primary care organisations (PCOs) as a comprehensive appraisal and revalidation toolkit." Free to RCGP members, Primary Care Organisations & GP Appraisers.

• GPTools - "My initial motivation for designing GPTools was due to being fed up with the other ‘appraisal sites’ out there. They were very poor on features and usability and to top it off we were being asked to pay for the privilege of using them. I felt that I could make something a lot easier , intuitive and modern (as in Web 2.0) myself." Free to all GPs.

• GPNotebook - A widely used and trusted encyclopaedia of medicine

• Clinical Knowledge Summaries - "a reliable source of evidence-based information and practical 'know how' about the common conditions managed in primary care"

• WrongDiagnosis.com - An independent website (actually aimed at patients ?American) that provides "extensive knowledge base of medical information on symptoms, diagnosis, and misdiagnosis of more than 20000 medical conditions."

• Immunisations Advice - Dept of Health website offering "clear, evidence-based information about different diseases, the possible side-effects of immunisation, and available vaccines"

• British National Formulary - Internet version of the BNF

• NICE Guidance - Guidance from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence on "promoting good health and preventing and treating ill health"

• DVLA - "At a glance guide to the current medical standards of fitness to drive" from the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency

• SignTranslate - Online sign language translation tool for use in consultations with deaf patients

• Athens - Provides online access to & search facilities for medical literature and research

• BMJ - Online access to the British Medical Journal (free for BMA members)

• BJGP - Online access to the British Journal of General Practice (free for RCGP members & AiTs)

• InnovAiT - Journal aimed at GP Trainees (free for AiTs)

Communication Tools

• Dorset GP - has many resources e.g. learning needs assessment – being able to identify areas individual to you that you can focus on to improve your practice.

Employment Issues

• Maternity - website about rights for mothers and fathers (and mums and dads-to-be) at work, on leave and on return to work

• Accounting - all GPs, but locums especially, could benefit from specialist GP accounting services. Two local firms are listed below (but this is not an advertisement and they are not sponsoring the site - they are purely firms that I know are used by GPs locally)
  • Sandisons
  • David Ridley Associates

• Pensions - always a good idea to know what scheme you're part of and how to find useful info about your contributions, etc. There is also a pensions calculator that helps you work out the benefits between the 1995 and 2008 pension schemes.