GP Flexible Training

Application is now made through Jonathan Shoebridge at GP office in the GP School - Severn Deanery. Please download the flexible training application form and personal details and equal opportunities form.

Category 1 applicants have priority and the Deanery will support all Category 1 applicants. Access to Category 2 funding is dependant on individual circumstances and funding availability.

Category 2: These are doctors in training with unique opportunities for other professional or personal development.

All applicants must also

All posts for GP vocational training can only be appointed to through the National Recruitment process, and equal opportunity rules will apply throughout.

Candidates who have been granted approval for FTP and were successfully appointed to a GP Training Rotation (these include both Hospital and GPR training posts) following the National Recruitment process, can be offered the opportunity to commence a Flexible Training Programme only once their funding has been confirmed.

Candidates who already have a confirmed or have commenced a GPR post and wish to undertake part time training will be managed separately through the Deanery and Patch Associate Director. See point 35 below for further details.

The FTP needs of each individual trainee will vary and should be reviewed with the Director or Deputy Director of General Practice Education regularly by arrangement.

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There are a number of FTP options for GP Training Rotations  These are:

The flexible trainee takes up a full-time Hospital post on reduced sessions but this requires prior agreement with the Hospital Trust which will have to arrange cover for the remaining sessions.

Two flexible trainees occupy one full-time Hospital post or VT scheme (“slot share”) with each flexible trainee working a minimum of 50% of a normal working week or up to a maximum of 80%. Again this is subject to prior agreement with the Hospital Trust. If the trainees work more than 50% each in any post, additional funding will need to be sought.  Most slot share posts are normally 60% of the WTE and will require an additional 20% funding arrangement.  These appointments can only commence when the additional funding has been agreed.

Supernumerary flexible training posts are subject to funding being available from both the Strategic Health Authority and Hospital Trust. Trainees may work between 50% and up to 80% WTE in these posts. The approved candidate will placed on a waiting list until funding has been secured but it is increasingly difficult to gain a supernumerary post due to funding limitations.

The European Working Time Directive requires vocational training programmes to be no less than 50% of the WTE post

Part-time VTS and GPR training must also include at least two periods of whole-time work, each lasting not less than one week,

This full week can of course include work and any designated educational activities and PMETB will require confirmation that it has occurred.  Often the first or Induction week is full time and this will cover this requirement in the GP training.

Flexible Training guidance requires all training posts to be undertaken as a pro-rata working arrangement of the substantive equivalent Hospital post. The timetable should therefore include pro-rata day time working, on-call and out-of-hours of the full-time equivalent training post in the same grade and speciality.

The maximum training allowed with in a FTP post with no out-of-hours work at night and weekends is six months. Therefore within the overall planning of the Hospital rotation a pro-rata out-of-hours commitment needs to be incorporated

Some full-time Hospital posts may not normally include any out of hours, e.g. GUM, A+E, Public Health, Community Paediatrics etc., so a part-time post in these departments will not require additional out of hours work planned into an approved programme.

It is therefore important when devising any programme or plan for flexible training that only one post is exempt from the out-of-hours rule, unless it is in a speciality which does not require this.

Current RCGP training regulations require the GP Trainee to complete specialist training for general practice totalling not less than three years full time employment, or the equivalent part time, in posts or programmes approved by PMETB.

Complete all three years’ training within the SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD immediately preceding the date of formal application for a certificate under the Article 10 Order.

If the overall training period has taken longer than 7 years then an application through the Article 11 route of the Order will have to be made (although this may be open to flexibility if there are certain exceptional circumstances).

The programme must include:

At least 12 months full time employment (or its equivalent part time) as a GP Registrar, under the supervision of an approved trainer.

At least 12 months full time employment (or the equivalent part time) in two List A hospital training posts approved for GP training in relevant hospital specialties.

The remaining 12 months may be made up from further A List posts or no more than 12 months of B List posts or on occasion additional time as a GPR.

In total you will be expected to have under taken 36 months of full time training or the equivalent part time.

List A
- Emergency medicine
- Paediatrics or community paediatrics
- General medicine or geriatrics or dermatology or GU medicine or 
- Rehabilitation medicine
- Gynaecology or obstetrics / gynaecology
- Psychiatry or old age psychiatry
- Palliative medicine

- 12 months is the maximum time that will be accepted in any individual List A specialities but two of these posts are still required to comply with the regulations

The mix of specialties in which an applicant has trained is important and all applicants are expected to demonstrate that they have trained in a balanced range of specialties relevant to their future career as a GP.

You must all register with the RCGP Certification Unit at the earliest opportunity and submit evidence of your previous training to seek advice on what will be approved and what further training is recommended by them

This should be formally done in writing and copies of correspondence from the RCGP or PMETB should be copied to the Deanery and the appropriate Patch Associate Directors.

Approval for a Slot Share or Part time substantive post is through the usual RCGP approval process by submission of an endorsed VTR2 and provided the overall programme compiles with the Training requirements no further documentation is required.

Approval for Supernumerary posts however requires individual post approval by PMETB in advance even where the full-time posts in the department already have approval for GP training

Detailed local planning, supervision and local attachments in the Hospital Trusts will be arranged in consultation with the Patch Associate Director and GP Educational team.

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Where possible, a “slot share” programme will be planned with another FTP Trainee.

In order to gain approval for the programme, the following documents will need to be submitted

This has to be done for each individual supernumerary flexible training post, even where the full-time posts in the department already have approval for GP training

All training post approval as part of a FTP must be done in advance and approved by the RCGP.

Letter from Programme Organiser confirming post suitability and confirming educational quality assurance.

Approval for the Overall Training Programme will be granted by the Director or Deputy Director on an individual basis in writing following review of the documentation.

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VTR2 forms will need to be completed for each individual Hospital Training post

The Director or Deputy Director of Education will give outline approval of the proposed posts and overall scheme in writing following review of the documentation and, on occasion, interview.

The FTP Trainee should register with the RCGP Certification Unit. at the earliest opportunity and submit evidence of your previous training to seek advice on what will be approved and what further training is recommended by them.

All correspondence from the RCGP or PMET should be copied to the Deanery and the appropriate Patch Associate Directors.

Individual Post approval at present is on “ad personum” basis by submission directly to PMETB as outlined above and this must occur prior to commencement of any post.

PMETB if satisfied that the supernumerary post meets training requirements will issue a confirmatory letter which will be required along with the VTR2 upon completion of the whole GP training programme before the CCT will be issued.

PMETB have agreed that we can have a named person to deal with all GP "ad personam" applications. This is usually only for supernumerary flexible training posts, but can occasionally be for other reasons. Our contact is;

Denise Bailey
Approvals Officer
Quality Assurance Team
Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB)
7th Floor
Hercules House
Hercules Road
London SE1 7DU
+44 (0) 20 7160 6100 (switchboard)
+44 (0) 20 7160 6145 (direct)
+44 (0) 20 7160 6102 (Fax)
Email: denise.bailey@pmetb.org.uk

For final approval of all training the VTR2 forms will need to be completed for all Hospital Posts and the VTR1 for GPR training (they do not like alterations; you will need to get a fresh one if you make any mistakes) and submitted to the RCGP as usual along with PMETB “ad personam” approval for any Supernumerary posts.

The length of the training period will need to be extended!!  Please use the table at the end to help calculate this.

The Contract should be altered in line with any changes in working arrangements and dates.

The following areas in particular need to be defined in the contract

The total holiday leave allowance for a full time SHO are taken on a pro rata basis.

If planning or considering a change to a FTP programme it is essential to review this and have the support of the Associate Director.

If the time table also has an effect on the attendance at the GP SHO Training workshops this must be discussed with the Programme Organisers.

GPR Part Time Training is governed by different guidelines please see "Working week” Guidance for GPRs

NB remember that the flexible trainee will be required to complete a PMETB (form B/GP) for each individual post

Application for the Approval of Training Posts and submit to PMETB for formal approval. It is important to add your name, Training and GMC number to the form.