MSF/360 User Guide

1. Requesting a SARD account
2. Accessing SARD for the first time
3. Navigating your Dashboard
3.1 My Dashboard drop-down list
3.2 Account drop-down list
3.3 Where would you like to go today?
3.4 Overview
3.5 My eDocuments
3.6 Notifications
3.7 My Details
3.8 Help and Support
4. Introduction to MSF/360
4.1 Starting a new MSF/360
4.2 Adding a previous MSF/360
5. Components of your MSF/360
5.1 Self Assessment
5.2 Colleague Feedback
5.3 Patient Feedback
6. Completing your MSF/360
7. MSF Report
8. SARD Customer Support

1. Requesting a SARD account

Access to the website is by invitation only, and accounts are set up by the administrator within your organisation. If you think that you should have access to SARD, please contact one of your organisation’s administrators and request an invitation. If you are unsure whom to contact, please get in touch with us on support@sardjv.co.uk, giving the name of the organisation you work for so we can provide you with the best email address to contact.

2. Accessing SARD for the first time

Once your account has been set up, you will receive an invitation email, which will come from no-reply@sardjv.co.uk. Click on the Accept Invitation link within the email to set your own password and get started. Your username is the email address that the original invitation was sent to.

Once you have set your password, you will see a welcome screen that will prompt you for information. You will be asked which medical roles are applicable, e.g., whether you are a clinical supervisor, inpatient doctor, community doctor, psychiatrist, anaesthetist, etc. You should select ALL roles that apply to you.

Once you have provided the required information, tick the confirmation box and click the Save and continue button.

Now that you have completed your initial setup, you will be able to access SARD using your registered email address and password on the main sign in page.

3. Navigating your Dashboard

The Dashboard is the ‘hub’ of your SARD account. It is the first page you will see when you log in, from which you can get an overview of your progress, view any notifications you may have, and access all the various products.

On your Dashboard there are useful dates that you should keep an eye on, i.e., when your next MSF/360 or next Appraisal are due.

3.1 My Dashboard drop-down list

My Dashboard is located in the top-left corner. Clicking on it will expand the drop-list with all the products and features you have access to, i.e., Appraisal, Job Plan, eLeave. You will also find a shortcut there to your My MSF/360 page:

3.2 Account drop-down list

If you click on your name in the top-right corner, it will unveil a drop-down list with shortcuts to your Dashboard, editing your details and the option to log out, among other things. Just like My Dashboard, this drop-down list is a permanent fixture – both remain visible in respective top corners throughout the system:

3.3 Where would you like to go today?

The centre of your Dashboard displays icons for each product and feature you have access to. Clicking on an icon will open a product or feature.

3.4 Overview

Overview allows to see at a glance the due dates for your next MSF/360, medical revalidation, Appraisal, proposed Appraisal meeting date, etc. Each due date has an i for information icon next to it for more details:




Please note this image is an example – your actual Dashboard appearance and available products will vary depending on your organisation and role.

The dates under Overview are colour-coded: green means that everything is in place and that you are fully compliant, orange denotes that the due date is approaching, whereas red indicates that something is outstanding and requires your specific action. This RAG (Red Amber Green) coding is also used for the products below Overview. For example, should your MSF/360 be overdue, it will be highlighted red in the lower part of your Dashboard.

You may find there is no due date showing for your MSF/360. If you have not yet done an MSF/360, there will be no MSF to go forward five years for your due date.

There are also trusts and organisations who choose not to show a due date for your MSF, instead relying on you to ensure you carry out the MSF within your revalidation period. This is generally before your last Appraisal at the latest, to allow the result to be looked over by yourself and your appraiser.

3.5 My eDocuments

This is where you will be able to upload various documents such as certificates, reports and other evidence for your Appraisal:




To upload a document, please click View My eDocuments, then + New eDoc, followed by Save. If you would like to upload many files at once, please see this page.

3.6 Notifications

Here you can see any recent notifications, such as whether your MSF/360 has reached the minimum number of certain feedback types of responses, or that it has been completed. To expand the list of notifications further, please click See All Notifications:

3.7 My Details

Clicking on this icon will show basic details of your SARD profile such as registered email address, organisational structure and your medical roles. Your profile can be updated at any time by clicking on Edit My Details:




You can add your profile picture here, if you wish. Once done editing your profile, please click Save.

3.8 Help and Support

This is where you can find your organisation’s Support Documents such as guidances and templates for various forms. You will also find further resources like Helpdesk, video and user guides here. Most importantly, under Help & Support there are contact details for the administrators at your trust/organisation, should you need to get in touch with them:

4. Introduction to MSF/360

As part of the medical revalidation process, doctors are expected to complete a Multi-Source Feedback or 360 Degree (MSF/360) exercise. This involves completing a Self Assessment, as well as collecting feedback from colleagues and patients. Along with the other supporting information you collect to be revalidated, this process should help to reflect on how you work, as well as to identify ways you can modify, and potentially improve your practice. The MSF/360 process should be completed at least once every five years, it should also form part of the discussion at your annual Appraisal. SARD’s MSF/360 tool allows you to complete all elements of your Multi-Source Feedback in one place.

How many MSFs do I need to do in one Medical Revalidation cycle?

4.1 Starting a new MSF/360

To begin a new MSF round, click on the + New MSF/360 button on your Dashboard:




I need access to MSF/360

4.2 Adding a previous MSF/360

If you have previously completed your MSF/360 offline or on a different system than SARD, click on the MSF/360 icon on your Dashboard, then click on the Upload Previous MSF/360 button:




Once done, add the relevant details, such as number of colleagues nominated or number of patient questionnaires completed. Ideally you should also attach a PDF or Word version of your offline MSF report by clicking on the Attach MSF Report button below:




The last step is to click Save. This way your “offline” MSF will be added to your account, the record of which can be found under the MSF/360 icon on your Dashboard.

5. Components of your MSF/360

During your five-year revalidation cycle, you are required to complete at least one full MSF encompassing all three types of feedback: Self Assessment, Colleague Feedback and Patient Feedback. With our MSF/360 tool you can complete any combination of the different elements at any time during these five years. This is particularly useful if you want to collect further feedback from a particular area, without finalising the whole process, whilst being able to see a completed report on your other feedback results. When initiating a new MSF/360, you will be prompted to select its components: Self Assessment, Colleague Feedback, and/or Patient Feedback:




You can amend your choices at any time via the MSF/360 Components section on top of your MSF/360 page, should your requirements change. Please ensure to click Save each time you make such a change:




Please mind that, depending on your organisation, you may not be able to alter the components of your MSF yourself. If this is the case for you, please get in touch with your organisation’s administrators whose contact details can be found under Help & Support on your Dashboard.

It is important to note that, unlike Patient and Colleague Feedback, a complete MSF report should not be generated for Self Assessment alone. Self Assessment reports must include Colleague Feedback in order to be compared to. It is possible to produce a report of Self Assessment and Patient Feedback responses, but this will only display limited Self Assessment responses.

5.1 Self Assessment

How to complete the Self Assessment

The Self Assessment questionnaire is based on the GMC template. It is designed to supplement the information obtained from the colleague and patient feedback questionnaires, and should be used for your own reflection. You can start Self Assessment by clicking on the Go button in the Self Assessment section on your MSF page:




You will be asked to rate your performance in various aspects of your practice on a scale from Poor to Very Good. If you think you cannot answer any of the questions, then please select Don’t Know:




There is also a Comments box at the end of the questionnaire for you to record any additional thoughts.

You can Save your progress at any time, or Submit your response by using dedicated buttons at the bottom of the Self Assessment questionnaire:

5.2 Colleague Feedback

I need to undertake Colleague Feedback

You should nominate colleagues you believe will be able to provide suitable feedback on your working practice. This should include a mixture of medical and non-medical respondents. Medical in this case means doctors whereas non-medical covers everybody else: nurses, radiologists, etc.

The GMC recommends that you should nominate 25 colleagues, with the aim of receiving a minimum of 15 anonymous responses. Please mind that these requirements may vary from organisation to organisation. Therefore, you should read the instructions on your MSF page carefully. Your organisation may have also left a local guidance on this – if yes, look for it in Support Documents under Help & Support on your Dashboard. If you are unsure, please contact your organisation’s administrator.

To choose nominees for a colleague feedback, go to the Nominate Colleagues section on your MSF page and simply select the names from the drop-down list of SARD users at your organisation. If the colleague you wish to nominate is not on SARD, you can add their name and email address manually:



To help obtain a valuable scope of feedback, you should also indicate if the nominated individual is a manager or a colleague, and whether they are a medical or non-medical respondent. Depending on your organisation, you may also be asked to enter a position title.

Once you have nominated a sufficient number of colleagues, you should inform the responsible person for your Trust or organisation by clicking on the Notify (...) that your Colleague Nominations are Complete button below. Depending on your organisation’s configuration, this will either be your organisation’s administrator, appraiser or clinical director. The responsible person will then be prompted to review the list of nominees and to email out the link to the Colleague Feedback questionnaire.

In the Colleague Feedback section on your MSF page you will find the Status which allows you to see how many questionnaires have been sent out and how many have been completed. The names of respondents who have replied will remain anonymous by design. You can send reminders to those yet to complete the feedback using the Remind Colleagues button at the bottom of Nominate Colleagues section. This will only send reminders to those who have not yet responded to the previously sent Colleague Feedback request.




I'm not sure whether I can complete the Colleague Feedback questionnaire for someone's MSF/360

5.3 Patient Feedback

I need to undertake Patient Feedback

Many organisations will have different procedures for collecting and submitting Patient Feedback. If your organisation allows to collect Patient Feedback electronically, click on the Online Patient Feedback Options button in the Summary section on top of your MSF/360 page:




I can't locate the QR code for Patient Feedback Questionnaire

That way you may be able to use online feedback, paper forms, or a mixture of both. However, you should always follow instructions from your Trust/organisation on your MSF/360 page. If you are unsure how to proceed, please get in touch with your organisation’s administrator as per contact details under Help & Support on your Dashboard.

The Patient Feedback section contains a link to download and print the GMC Patient questionnaire. It is important that this version is used to ensure it can be entered correctly onto the SARD system for reporting and benchmarking purposes.






The GMC recommends that the survey is completed by a minimum of 34 patients, although your organisation may have different expectations. Some roles with limited practical patient interaction will also require a smaller sample size. The GMC website provides useful case studies for such scenarios. If you think that you should be exempt from collecting Patient Feedback for MSF purposes, please contact the administrator at your Trust/organisation so they can update your SARD account accordingly.

We suggest that a GMC patient questionnaire is handed out to every patient (or carer) during the survey period, and that your name is at the top of each form.

Specific details from your organisation of how to collect and where to send your completed patient questionnaires are included in the Patient Feedback section on your MSF page. Once your patient questionnaires have been collected, they will be input onto the system.

Can I email scans of Patient Feedback forms to SARD?

The Summary section on top of your MSF page and the Status line in the Patient Feedback section will indicate how many responses have been completed and added to your open MSF.

6. Completing your MSF/360

Once your Self Assessment and/or Patient and Colleague Feedback are complete and you think your MSF/360 is ready for analysis, you can let your administrator know by clicking the Notify Administrator that your MSF is Ready for Analysis button at the bottom of the MSF page:




By notifying the administrator, you are acknowledging that you are satisfied for the MSF Report to be generated with the number of questionnaires that have been returned.

The administrator will then be able to check the content of your MSF, before generating a report. Depending on your organisation this will either be shared with your appraiser for completion, or your administrator will mark this as complete. Once done, the report will be shared with you at the bottom of your MSF page and on top of your eDocs (My eDocuments) folder. If your Trust/organisation also uses SARD Medical Appraisal and Revalidation System, the newly generated MSF Report will automatically be attached to the relevant sections of your current Portfolio and Appraisal form.

7. MSF Report

I need my MSF report

The MSF Report will contain the results of your MSF. A score will be generated for each section based on the responses, as well as any additional comments made.

The report also includes a benchmarking system to compare your results against previously collected data. This is designed to give an insight of how the responses compare, and to identify areas for discussion during an Appraisal meeting. This benchmarking should not be considered a definitive reflection of your work performance, as your MSF responses can be influenced by multiple external factors.

8. SARD Customer Support

If you require some additional help, we have online support available every weekday between 9am and 5pm via our online chat system. Just click on the green button

in the bottom-right corner of your screen to open a Support Team chat window:



Clicking the Help tab on the right will direct you to a catalogue of Helpdesk articles which can be also found here. These should prove useful, especially if you need assistance outside of business hours.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions or comments via the live chat system or via email at support@sardjv.co.uk.

Updated on: 26/06/2025