Programmes | NTNs

The format of NTN is to change and will be auto-created based on the characteristics of the trainee Programme Curriculum Membership (PCM):

NTN number is to be based on new criteria = location of training + speciality + trainee’s GMC number + single letter suffix (for example identifying whether the trainee is on a programme aimed at delivering a CCT or CESR (CP) etc + whether they are academic trainees), details below taken from a draft text going into the Gold Guide:

3.14       Following appointment to a specialty training programme, a National Training Number (NTN) or Dean’s Reference Number (DRN) will be awarded. This includes trainees working in NHS and non-NHS employment but not in LAT posts.
3.15       NTNs will only be awarded to doctors in specialty training programmes that (subject to satisfactory progress) have an end point of the award of a CCT or CESR(CP)/
CEGPR(CP).
3.16       Core trainees will not be awarded NTNs but will be awarded DRNs. These training numbers are for administrative purposes and do not confer any entitlement to entry to further specialty training.
3.17       The NTN or DRN is unique to the trainee for the period the trainee holds the number in that specialty training programme. The NTN or DRN may be changed for a given trainee if that trainee is subsequently appointed competitively to a different specialty or academic programme.
3.18       A trainee should not hold more than one training number (NTN or DRN) at the same time except in circumstances approved by the Postgraduate Dean.
3.19       Where a NTN or DRN has been issued, it will be held so long as the trainee is in specialty training or is out of programme on statutory grounds, or for out of programme activity that has been agreed with the Postgraduate Dean.
3.20       The NTN is a numeric code which identifies the location of training, the speciality, the GMC number of the holder and a single letter suffix (for example identifying whether the trainee is on a programme aimed at delivering a CCT or CESR (CP) etc and whether they are academic trainees). Detail on the configuration of the NTN and a table of permitted specialty and subspecialty combinations can be found in the NTN Appendix available on the COPMeD website.
3.21       The specialty component of an NTN will consist of a concatenation of specialty/subspecialty codes to reflect all the curricula a trainee is undertaking as part of their training programme.

For Discussion

The purpose is to support educational planning and management, enabling postgraduate deans to keep track of location and progress of trainees. NTNs also inform workforce planning

#		Comment
1	following appointment to a programme, an NTN (national training number) or Deans Reference Number (DRN) will be awarded what’s the difference between the two? which one is used when?	an NTN is given to a trainee who's programme leads to CCT. This includes run through and higher specialty programmes. a DRN is given to trainees following a programme that does not lead to CCT e.g Foundation, CMT, CST, CPT Tom de Salis - NTNs are issued for programmes leading to CCT, DRNs are issued for core/uncouple programmes
2	for docs in NHS and non-NHS employment, but not for LAT posts what’s a LAT post? does HEE look after non-NHS roles? ie should we be concerned with this?	A LAT is a Locum (cover for a trainee). These are being phased out so not a great concern. All our trainees should be in NHS roles I believe. Tom de Salis - LATs are/were fixed-term training appointments which could be accumulated and used to ‘add up’ to a CCT (through the CESR route). I don’t think we recruit LATs anymore. They used to get a DRN (with an ‘L’ suffix). I think, in this context, it’s talking about things like Occupational Medicine with industry placements, and Palliative Med trainees with hospices
3	trainees should only have 1, except in pre-approved circumstances NTN should change to reflect that a trainee is undertaking a dual or sub-specialty programme what should be done about those with multiple NTNs now?	We will need Russell to analyse how prevalent multiple NTNS are. there shouldn't be a huge amount. Tom de Salis - I think the current system of attaching the NTNs to the programme membership works well (and allows for the ‘pre-approved circumstances’). There is no situation where a trainee would have 2 NTNs for one programme membership
4	where NTN is issued, it will be held so long as trainee is in specialty training trainee is out of programme on statutory grounds or agreed out of programme how do we know this is true for a trainee?	Tom de Salis - I think we are the arbiters of most of this. OOP applications are approved by Royal College/HoS, but we process them all so there shouldn’t be any we don’t know about.
5	NTN’s only awarded to programmes with CCT or CESR/CESP/CEGPR/CEGCP in order to receive the final award, they must have NTN is a flag needed for those who do not have an NTN at a certain point in their training? What should the single letter suffx be, assuming there needs to be one for each of the following - CCT / CESR / CESP / CEGPR / CEGCP - can they be defined by TIS?	Yes, a flag for trainees on a curriculum leading to CCT but without an NTN would be useful Suffix Codes Suffix A is Academic Suffix C is the standard CCT route Suffix L is CESR/CEGPR (CP and E is old version) We no longer issue training numbers to new starters with a N suffix (but indicates old SpR type) Suffix F is Fixed-Term Training Appointment (FTTA) Been renamed to Post CCST for Dental (no longer used?) Suffix S is Trainees who switched to the new Speciality curriculum from ‘N’ suffix. Suffix I is Industrial Training Number For Occupational Medicine Suffix T is for non-medical Public Health trainees
6	core trainees will be awarded DRN, not NTN how is a DRN different / made up?	DRN takes the format 11/XXX/Y222/ZZZ 11 – Academic year of issue (e.g. ‘17’ for 2017/18 academic year) XXX – 3 letter or number code to indicate core programme (see table below) Y – Letter to indicate type of contract (C for Core training, F for FTSTA, L for LAT) 222 – Numerical indicator (generally issued sequentially) ZZZ – 2 or 3 letter code to indicate issuing deanery (e.g. WM for West Mids)
7	NTN’s are persisted through the lifetime of a programme even through research or career breaks How is this currently handled?	NTNs can be owned by only one trainee at a time. V10 validates this through programme membership dates (no overlap allowed)
8	where inter-deanery transfer takes place, a new NTN to be issued What should the trigger point be?	At the point of IDT, the old programme membership will end and a new one (with the new deanery) will be issued. Each programme membership will have a different NTN
9	NTN is removed where completion of training is assessed as unstable to continue does not comply with requirements for maintaining their registration with Postgraduate Den does not hold GC number resigns is dismissed is erased/suspended from medical register at Dean’s discretion What should be the process be to "remove" an NTN? (New scenario)	The programme end date should be ‘trimmed’ to end early. If an NTN is removed, the trainee exits the training programme, so this should be all that is necessary
10	where an NTN has been removed it can be reinstated with the old one?	We would just issue a new one, as the old one would probably have been recycled to a new trainee, unless the period between removal and reinstatement was very short. (NB RE: suspension – we wouldn’t typically remove an NTN until all appeals had been exhausted)
11	Some specialty training award NTN(I) who specifically should have this? how do we structure the number?	Occupational Medicine trainees who spend their entire training seconded to a single industry placement (i.e. one non-NHS organisation ‘sponsors’ their whole training)
12	Defence Medical Services - Successful candidates for specialty training will be selected as required by the DMS. Those appointed as Specialty Registrar (StR) will be awarded a DPMD NTN by the Defence Postgraduate Medical Dean and the prefix of the NTN will remain “TSD” to designate the trainee as a Defence Deanery trainee once this is complete, they need to seek training as a civilian and will be awarded a new NTN relinquish DPMD NTN whats the current process?	DMS issue their own NTNs. Currently we email DMS and ask them. If a trainee resigns from the military and relinquishes their DMS NTN, they generally need to apply in open competition to a ‘normal’ training programme. Occasionally our PGD will waive this process, usually for DMS trainees who are quite close to CCT (because it is hard to be appointed to a programme at ST6/7/8 level)