This page outlines the data that have been collected from South West Peninsula & Severn Local Offices and validated at a workshop (29th of November 2023) to map their as-is business processes for Less Than Full Time Training.
Application Windows for SW
There are no application windows in the South West. It is advised that Doctors in training must give at least 16 weeks’ notice of their wish to train LTFT to allow sufficient time for the employing Trust to be notified and to discuss with the Training Programme Director for the purposes of rotation planning. If less notice is received the application will still be considered but the start date may be delayed.
Application form is in Word format with the same form completed for all Dental, Medical, Public Health and Foundation. There have been few cases where for Dental the form from the Dental Gold Guide with the minimum dataset has been submitted.
LTFT Reasons
All employees have a legal right to request flexible working – not just parents and carers. Therefore, all doctors in training can apply for LTFT training and section 3.123 of the Gold Guide provides a list of illustrative examples for requesting LTFT training.
All well-founded reasons will be considered. Support to progress the application will be dependent on the capacity of the programme and the effect the request may have on the training available to other doctors in training on the programme.
It is expected that all those applying due to disability or ill health and caring responsibilities will be accommodated.
No. | Reason selection | Circumstance | Supporting documentation |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Responsibility for caring for children | Responsibility for caring for children
| You will need to confirm the anticipated or actual date of birth of your youngest child on the application form. (Please note you do not need to continue to re-apply upon each period of maternity leave, eligibility is automatic until your youngest child is 18 years old). |
2 | Health related reasons | This may include ongoing medical procedures such as fertility treatment.
|
It must be on letter-header paper or be from an official email address which can be validated. The letter should be dated within the past 3 months. |
3 | Direct carer for ill/disabled partner, relative or dependant |
|
It must be on letter-header paper or be from an official email address which can be validated, dated within the last three months. |
4 | Other well-founded reasons (options):
|
|
|
As-Is Processes for South West
In trying to map the LTFT end-to-end process we came up with 4 main stages in the order in which they would occur namely:
Pre-application Stage: 16 weeks or earlier, where a trainee discusses with their TPD / Foundation TPD and for well-founded reasons to have also discussed with Department Lead and Employing Trust Medical staffing and obtaining their signature on the form with relevant section filled in. For GP, there is an additional step with the trainee discussing with the Educational Programme Manager (EPM) to ensure it can be accommodated before an application is put in.
LTFT Application processing Stage: With at least 16 weeks notice given, applications are processed by HEE Programme Manager for Specialty and GP VTS admins for GP.
3.1 Work Pattern, payroll changes and Start date implementation at Trust level, assuming agreement with TPD was obtained at an earlier discussion prior to their application, typically around 8 weeks prior to commencing LTFT
3.2 Appealing the decision stage, where their application was rejected, typically 8 weeks before commencing
Trainee Commencing their training on LTFT basis
Pain Points in the process
No. | Pain Point / Area to improve | Comment |
---|---|---|
1 | There is no SLA to process applications neither internally nor published to trainees when an application has been submitted. Trainee doesn’t have an indication of where their application are with the processing and receiving an outcome. | |
2 | Given the new policy to extend flexible training, there has been a large number of applications and it has meant that the categories no longer exist. This in turn has made the triaging of applications almost ad-hoc when it comes to prioritising the processing as and when the applications are received for specialty. E.g. there is no Local process to prioritise the processing of Childcare/Disability/Health reasons applications over wellbeing ones. | |
3 | SW uses different forms for 1) Change of percentage 2) New Application 3) Notification of Appeal. All these forms can be difficult to manage when submitted to HEE via emails. When submitted to HEE they go to personal email addresses of Specialty Education Programme managers which can be difficult to triage as to what the purpose of the email was from the trainees. | |
4 | The role of Education Specialty Programme Managers in HEE is unclear in the approval process. For Caring responsibilities, currently they only rely on the TPS having ticked the box on the form which is an assumption that LTFT will be accommodated by the Employing Trust and therefore is an “approval” by default. | |
5 | There hasn’t been any rejections and unclear on the implementation of this part of the process. No real guidance on approval responsibilities and process. | |
6 | SW has a documented process with Trainee, Associate Dean and Postgraduate Dean involved, preparing cases statements, with timescales made aware to the parties involved. However, in practice, this has not yet happened as there have been no rejections yet. | |
7 | For specialty and Dental, there is no monitoring of applications through reports. GP only, uses a tracker spreadsheet. | |
8 | There is no tangible data on the number of applications received apart from referring to TIS. | |
9 | There is a gap between Trainee and Trust and Trainee and HEE in the application process in the sense that application may have been submitted (e.g. for Disability) where supporting evidences are still being awaited for but the trainee has already started in the Trust as LTFT and NHS SW becoming aware of this until later. What constitutes an approval, isn’t defined. | |
10 | An LTFT trainee may have more ARCPs than a full time doctor in training. It becomes a challenge in specialty school in deciding on the progression date/point. |
LTFT Email templates
These are the email templates managed by specialty teams and LTFT Admins that are sent to trainees in the relevant events - (TBC)
No | Email Template | Body / Content | Sent to |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Approval (Specialty) | Subject: Confirmation of Less Than Full Time (LTFT) training - Name <GMC> Dear Olivia Your application to train less than full time has been approved as follows: You should now ensure that you draw up, in conjunction with the Educational Supervisor in the locality, a suitable work schedule. Once agreed, this will impact your pay and you will need to liaise with the medical HR team in the Trust (copied). Any future changes to your working arrangements, such as an increase/decrease in hours, must be prospectively approved via the submission of a ‘Change to LTFT working’ form. Should you no longer wish to train less than full time, you will be able to return to full time training when an appropriate placement becomes available. Until such time you will be required to continue working on a less than full time basis. Your revised working hours may impact your completion of training date, this will be reviewed and confirmed at your ARCP. For further information please go to the following link where you will find the LTFT working policy; Should you have any queries please get in touch. Kind regards Joanne Pickstone Education Programme Manager |
|
1.2 | Approval - GP | Dear Dr [insert name], Thank you for submitting your LTFT application form. The details of your LTFT working are as follows: LTFT start date: [insert start date] Agreed LTFT%: [%] Prospective CCT date: [insert CCT date] Please see here for useful information on the working week: https://primarycare.peninsuladeanery.nhs.uk/about-us/gp-specialty-trainees/medical-indemnity/gp-trainee-contact-and-working-week-rota-faq/ (include if there are still hospital posts to complete:) Please note any doctor in training in a supernumerary or part time in a full time slot will be required to slot-share should the opportunity arise, so although your new LTFT % is approved for the remainder of training, this is always subject to the needs and capacity of the local service. For Tier 2 or skilled worker only Don’t forget if you are on a Tier 2 visa or skilled worker visa you must inform sponsorship@hee.nhs.uk of any changes to your working arrangements. Thank you again for completing the necessary LTFT paperwork. With kind regards, |
|
2 | Rejection | N/A - since there is no rejection by HEE | |
3 | Appeal procedure | N/A - not had any rejection |
CCT Calculator
GP Team calculates the CCT using Royal Colleges Calculator and inputs this to TIS. Specialty Team do not calculate this at this stage but left until ARCP panel to be worked out and inputted to TIS.
0 Comments