Multi-Source Feedback (MSF)

Anaesthetists in training are required to complete at least one Multi-Source Feedback (MSF) during each training year. MSFs can be conducted in Anaesthesia, Pain Medicine, or Intensive Care Medicine (ICM).

Selecting Participants

The anaesthetist in training must identify a minimum of 12 colleagues from a range of professional backgrounds with whom they have worked. These may include:

Consultants
Theatre staff
Recovery staff
Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs)
Midwives
Administrative staff

Requests for feedback are sent through the Lifelong Learning Platform (LLP).

Oversight by the Educational Supervisor

Once the MSF is initiated, the Educational Supervisor listed on the trainee’s current placement will have oversight of the process. They can view feedback and comments as they are submitted by participants.

Closing the MSF

After the required number of responses has been received, the anaesthetist in training can request closure of the MSF.

The Educational Supervisor will then:

Review the MSF feedback and moderate participant comments
Either close the MSF
Or return it to the trainee with comments (e.g. requesting additional participants)

Note: Supervisor comments are only visible to the trainee if the MSF is returned. Once the MSF is closed, these comments are no longer accessible through the MSF itself, but may be included in the Educational Supervisor’s Structured Report (ESSR), where they will be visible to all reviewers.

Finalising and Sending Feedback

Once the supervisor closes the MSF, it cannot be reopened or returned. At this point, the supervisor can moderate any comments and must click “Send Feedback” to release the anonymised feedback to the trainee.

How Participants Receive the Form

LLP assessors will receive the MSF form via the Assessing tab on their dashboard.
Guest participants and non-assessors will receive an email with a link to the form.

The following video, presented by Tunde Arowojolu in 2024, provides a step-by-step guide to the MSF and Multiple Trainer Report (MTR) process on the LLP:

FAQ

I started an MSF in my previous placement but didn’t complete it before changing placement. Now my current supervisor can’t see it to approve. What should I do?

To ensure your previous Educational Supervisor can access and approve the MSF, you will need to temporarily reinstate your previous placement. Follow these steps:

Go to the Placement tab.
Click on ‘View and Add Placement’.
Select ‘Edit Placement’.
Delete your current placement.
Extend the end date of your previous placement to a future date.
This will allow your former Educational Supervisor to access your portfolio. The MSF will then appear on their Assessing tab.

Once the MSF has been approved, you can go back and retrospectively update your placement details to reflect the correct training dates.

As an Educational Supervisor, I approved my trainee's MSF without reviewing the participant comments closely. I've just noticed an inappropriate comment — can it be removed?

Educational Supervisors are able to moderate and remove any inappropriate feedback from an MSF before approving and sending the anonymised feedback to the trainee.

However, once the MSF has been approved and the feedback released, it is no longer possible to edit or remove comments.

If an inappropriate comment has been missed during moderation, the entire MSF will need to be deleted, and the trainee will need to create a new MSF.

Please note: only the LLP team can delete an MSF. To request deletion, please email lifelong@rcoa.ac.uk with the MSF title and date