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Study Leave Guidelines for F2 Doctors 2011 - 2013

It is national policy that trainees in the F1 year must have three hours protected teaching time each week allocated to support their learning outcomes as laid down by the GMC and the Foundation Curriculum.

The teaching time can be managed flexibly as long as it can be demonstrated that through the F1 year, three hours per week on average is allocated specifically to teaching F1 trainees. This allotted time should be used to deliver the clinical teaching to support the delivery of the Foundation Curriculum.

Trusts can choose how they wish to use the teaching time allotted to F1 trainees. For example, this time can be used to deliver a 3-hour teaching session for F1 trainees per week. Alternatively the time can be used to allocate three one hour sessions weekly or any other combination.

A total of thirty days study leave is allowable in the F2 year consistent with maintaining essential services.

Study leave is not normally granted during the F1 year under terms and conditions of service. Study leave opportunities may be granted to F2 doctors who wish to experience another specialty as a Taster module.

Mandatory Generic Skills training days for F2 doctors are provided by the Deanery as part of the study leave allowance in Foundation Year 2. These training days are provided on a regional basis by experienced Clinical facilitators. These dates have been pre-allocated and do not require a study leave application. Ensure that your Trust rota organiser is aware of the days you plan to attend. Reasonable travel expenses, if applicable may be submitted at the end of each four month placement under terms and conditions of employment.

For those doctors in General Practice, during their four months they have ten days of study leave allocated as half day tutorial and half day self directed learning per week in addition to the mandatory Generic Skills training days. If during F2 a doctor is in General practice twenty days of the study leave allocation is allocated.

Funding will not be available for the following: * Specialist Examination Courses (including Diploma and Certificate Courses) and Courses recognised for Specialty Training purposes * Basic Surgical Skills or similar courses in Obstetrics and Gynaecology * Attendance at any courses, conferences or meetings outside Northern Ireland

It may be possible to locally negotiate study leave without funding.

Courses that are relevant to specialist training programmes should be availed of at the appropriate time i.e. following completion of the F2 year.

There is a useful distinction between study (and hence study leave), which may be about learning for career advancement (which may include mandatory and desirable elements, and be linked to curriculum requirements), and skills development required for clinical governance purposes and fitness to practise. Study leave for the latter should be provided by Trusts (for example various models of life support training that are an essential requisite assurance of competence to ensure patient safety under the NHS Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts).

If a Foundation doctor has submitted a poster or oral presentation which has been accepted at a national or international meeting the Foundation School will review a submitted proposal and may consider awarding a defined small sum of money to assist with registration or travel expenses. Each application will be considered on its merits and the benefit to the trainee and the prestige attached to the meetings and the poster or presentation will also be considered.
In this instance make a request early for consideration of a funding allocation and specify a senior doctor who can attest to the presentation and its merits.

Please download a study leave application form which is available on the front page of www.nimdta.gov.uk

Advanced Life Support (ALS)

If you are currently an F2