For the latest guidance on COVID-19, please see this page on the JAG website which is regularly updated.

This article was published on Friday 13 March 2020.

How will COVID-19 affect JAG?

To support efforts to contain and mitigate against threats posed by the coronavirus outbreak, the Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP) Accreditation Unit has decided to postpone all JAG accreditation site assessments up to and including 30 June 2020. In addition, we will not be undertaking the April GRS census. Individual services are able to self-assess against the GRS on the JAG website at any time if they would like to.

As a leading health organisation aimed at improving patient care and preventing disease in the UK and globally, the RCP takes seriously its responsibility to protect clinicians and the public from contracting COVID-19 and to prevent the further spread of the virus.

We appreciate that services will be under a lot of pressure in response to COVID-19. Please be assured your accreditation status will not be affected during this period and we will take a flexible and proportionate approach to services at the time of assessment and annual review.

Bowel cancer screener accreditation assessments

In relation to bowel cancer screener accreditation assessments, assessment centres should make the decision locally as to whether assessments go ahead as planned. This needs to be considered in agreement with assessors and candidates.

Training courses

For training courses at JAG approved training centres, the decision as to whether a training course will go ahead should be made at training centre level based on local guidance. Delegates should contact training centres as soon as is possible if they are unable to attend a scheduled course.

Endoscopy departments

For specific guidance relating to the running of endoscopy departments, including reduced and cancelled lists, we encourage you to seek advice from hospital senior management team for a coordinated organisation-wide response.

In the event that the endoscopy department is used for inpatient overflow, we refer you to the following guidance. 

Thank you for your continued flexibility and understanding at this time.

Please email askJAG@rcplondon.ac.uk with any further queries.

Further guidance

The British Society of Gastroenterology has published advice for healthcare professionals, available here.