North West School of Surgery - Training Programme Directors

Bullying and Harassment

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh: Anti-Bullying and Undermining Campaign - including an online e-module. This emodule guides you through the facts, identifies the problem and suggests ways of managing our own behaviour in order to change the surgical culture. CPD accredited. RCSEd online account holders can access the emodule by logging in with your RCSEd account. Non-RCSEd online account holders will first need to register to create an online RCSEd account. Once you have registered, you can then log in to complete the emodule with your new RCSEd account.

The Lead Employer's Respect and Dignity at Work policy can be downloaded from Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust's Lead Employer 'Policies and Forms' page (formerly St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust).

CCT, Portfolio and the Combined Programme - Pathways to entry on the GMC's Specialist Register

 CCT, Portfolio and the Combined Programme - A guide to the routes of entry on the GMC’s specialist register for doctors starting specialty training in NHS England North West

Please also see information on the JCST website and the GMC website.

Cultural Awareness

There are three 'Cultural Awareness for Surgeons' modules available on the JCST/ISCP Youtube channel:

Module 1: Language - Guidance on how to speak appropriately to people from different cultures, showing typical characteristics of language, both verbal and non-verbal.

Module 2: Politeness - Guidance on understanding the two universal components of politeness, giving instruction on how cultures convey politeness differently.

Module 3: Power and Status - Guidance on how cultures react differently to power and status and tips on how to address those differences in positive ways in surgical practice.

Early Certification / Early Completion of Training / Early Completion of a Training Phase

4.11   There will be occasions when a postgraduate doctor in training progresses more rapidly than the expected rate of progress and in such cases, the award of an Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) Outcome 6 can be brought forwards. However, this can only occur if:

i. the individual has gained all the relevant capabilities required in the curriculum
ii. the individual has completed all the necessary examinations and assessments

4.12   The early achievement of CCT needs to be planned via the ARCP process and would not normally be advanced by more than one year, the final opportunity to bring forwards the CCT date would normally be at the penultimate ARCP.

The Gold Guide 10th Edition - Section 4: Progressing as a specialty postgraduate doctor in training or foundation doctor

The North West School of Surgery have introduced an 'Early completion of training request' process in August 2024. This includes requesting an early CCT and early completion of a phase of training.

As this is new guidance, there will be a phased approach at least for the first year, and so the rules around requesting before the penultimate ARCP will not apply, but we ask for as much notice as possible, with a minimum of 4-months notice so that requests can be considered and processed intime to comply with employment notice periods (see 'Resigning from a Training Programme' section below) and so that a final ARCP can be arranged.

North West School of Surgery Early Completion of a Training Programme Guidance

North West School of Surgery - Early Completion of Training Programme Request Form

JCST's  Early Certification Principles

JCST's 'Requesting change to provisional certification date' flowchart

Enhancing Resident Doctors’ Working Lives

Enhancing Junior Doctors’ Working Lives - a progress report 2018

HEE and EJDWL 2018 presentation by Dr Alistair Thomson

Enhancing Supervision for Resident Doctors

Enhancing Supervision for Resident Doctors

Standards in Supervision

Enhancing Supervision for Resident Doctors – Handbook

Exceptional Circumstances

What Constitutes Exceptional Circumstances?

NHS England North West ARCP Protocol - Appendix 2: What Constitutes Exceptional Circumstances?

Expenses

If you are claiming expenses relating to attendance at National Selection, you should claim directly from NHS England via the relavant recruitment team. 

Any other TPD related expenses should be claimed from you own trust, who will then re-charge NHS England.

Gold Guide

The Gold Guide is a Reference Guide for Postgraduate Specialty Training in the UK and is applicable to all resident doctors in training taking up appointments in specialty training which commenced on or after 1 August 2007. The tenth edition published in August 2024 replaces all previous editions of the Gold Guide with immediate effect and can be downloaded from the COPMeD website.

JCST Quality Indicators

JCST Quality Indicators

Less Than Full Time Training - Managing Less Than Full Time Resident Doctors

Managing Less Than Full Time (LTFT) Resident Doctors

Email from Jon Hossain RE: Educational Supervisors Less Than Full Time Training Package

Maintaining High Professional Standards (MHPS)

Maintaining High Professional Standards (MHPS) in the modern NHS

Out of Programme (OOP)

The Out of Programme (OOP) application form and information on the OOP process for NHS England North West can be found on the Out of Programme pages of our website.

Once an OOP application form has been signed by the resident doctor, their AES and their TPD, they must send the form and the supporting documentation to the NHS England North West School of Surgery Admin Team who will seek approval from the Associate Postgraduate Dean.

Please be aware they will also need to apply to the JCST for them to approve the OOP, details of what they require can be found on the OOP pages of the JCST website.

If the post requires GMC approval, this will be applied for by the NHS England – North West admin team once your application has been approved by the Associate Postgraduate Dean and the JCST.

Cancellation or Curtailment of OOP

If they want to cancel their OOP after it has been approved, or if they want to shorten their OOP, they must complete the "OOP Cancellation and Curtailment form" available on the Out of Programme pages of our website.

Extending your OOP

If they would like to extend their OOP, they should complete the main OOP application form for the extension period (the extension start date should be the day after the currently approved OOP end date) and they should submit documentation explaining the reason they want the extension. Please note that an Educational Supervisors signature is not required for an OOP extension application.

Period of Grace

A six-month Period of Grace (sometimes referred to as POG) is available to all resident doctors on a higher training programme (ST3+) or run-through training programme. Resident doctors in Core Surgical Training do not have access to a period of grace.

From August 2020 the way in which NHS England North West manages Period of Grace changed to be in line with NHS England's National policy. Resident doctors in run-through or higher training programmes with a CCT date after 1 February 2021 must give six-months notice of whether they would like their Period of Grace. Resident doctors will be contacted approximately seven months before their CCT date to complete a Period of Grace Request form. If no form is received, it will be assumed that the Period of Grace is not required and their employment will finish on their CCT date. If a doctor who indicated they would like a Period of Grace subsequently changes their mind, they will need to give the standard three months notice of resignation.

The Period of Grace policy can be found on the policies and procedures page of this website.

Please see the Resignation section below for further details on resigning.

Personal Development Plans (PDP)

"Professional development plans for surgeons" by Mr Vijay Bhalaik

Quality Indicators

See JCST Quality Indicators

Reflective Practice

Resident doctors must ensure that all reflections in the portfolio, and used as evidence for appraisal and revalidation, must have any personal information that can identify individuals (including patient identifiers) or organisations removed prior to loading.

Improving feedback and reflection to improve learning, A practical guide for resident doctors and trainers

Recording of reflective practice - letter from Academy of Medical Royal Colleges

Recording of reflective practice - Academy of Medical Royal Colleges - Guidance for entering information on e-portfolios

Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and COPMeD Reflective Practice Toolkit

GMC - Reflective practice guidance

Resigning from a Training Programme

Upon resigning from a training post, the following notice of resignation is required from a doctor in postgraduate training:

Resident doctors resigning from their training programme must advise the Lead Employer of their resignation by emailing lead.employer@merseywestlancs.nhs.uk within the above timescales.

Where a doctor wants to leave the training programme before completion of the required notice period, they must complete an Early Resignation Form and obtain approval from the Host Trust they will be based at on the date of leaving.

Please visit the Lead Employer's Online Forms page on their website and complete the Early Resignation Form.

If you have any queries about resigning, please contact the Lead Employer Team at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (formerly St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust).

Returning to Work/Training

Please visit the North West School of Surgery SuppoRTT page and NHS England – North West's Supported Return to Training page.

Revalidation

Please see the NHS England - North West Revalidation pages for information.

The Revalidation team can be contacted by email on england.revalidation.nw@nhs.net

SMART Objectives

 SMART Objectives Template

Study Leave

Please see the NHS England - North West Study Leave pages for guidance, application forms etc.

The Study Leave team can be contacted by email on england.studyleave.nw@nhs.net

Study Leave Top Slicing

Study Leave Top Slicing - A Quick Guide

Study Leave Top Slicing - Example Invoice

Support for Doctors with Mental Health or Addiction Concerns

NHS Practitioner Health is a free and confidential NHS service for doctors and dentists with issues relating to a mental health concern or addiction problem, especially where these may affect their work.

The service is open to any medical or dental practitioners in England, who are GMC or GDC registered, or those looking to return to clinical practice.

NHS Practitioner Health Leaflet

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 8am-2pm

Telephone: 0300 030 3300

Email: prac.health@nhs.net

Website: www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk

Supported Return to Training (SuppoRTT)

Please visit the North West School of Surgery SuppoRTT page and NHS England – North West's Supported Return to Training page.

Time Out of Training (TOOT)

Time Out of Training - GMC position statement - November 2012

Trainees Requiring Extra Support (TRES)

Resident Doctors requiring extra support should be referred to 'Deans Case Management'.

To make a referral, please refer to the Deans Case Management section of the Professional Support and Wellbeing Service pages over our website.

Maintaining High Professional Standards (MHPS) in the modern NHS

Training Support Network for Resident Doctors

Information on specialist support services for resident doctors who are experiencing difficulties which may affect their ability to train.

NHS England North West Training Support Network