School of Surgery HomeSpecialtiesTRESMACHNOTSSSuppoRTT
ARCPEducational SupervisorsSurgical Resident DoctorsTPDsSurgical Tutors
Once a doctor has successfully completed a GMC recognised training programme, the GMC will enter a doctor on the specialist only register when:
The JCST will send their recommendation that a resident doctor be awarded a Certificate of Completion of Training to the GMC once the outcome 6 ARCP form on ISCP has been signed-off by:
If you have any queries about the progress with your CCT recommendation, please contact the JCST.
In order to be entered on the specialist register, a resident doctor must apply to the GMC for specialist registration.
The GMC should contact the resident doctor via email around 4 months before their CCT date to ask them to apply for specialist registration. This is based on the CCT date the GMC have been notified of by the JCST.
Even if you think you have not seen/received the email from the GMC, if the GMC believe you are eligible to apply for specialist registration, you can apply by logging into your GMC online account.
Once logged in, go to 'My Registration' then 'My Applications'.
GMC website: Certificate of completion of training application
Deadline for applying
Please remember that you must apply for specialist registration no later than 12 months from your final CCT date.
If you do not apply within 12 months of CCT date, you will no longer be eligible for a CCT and will need to apply for specialist registration via the Portfolio pathway.
Once you have been issued an outcome 6 you must remain in programme and employed up-to, and including, your CCT date.
The purpose of a Period of Grace (PoG) is to offer continued employment (at speciality registrar level) to doctors who have completed training and not yet obtained a consultant post.
You should have been contacted 6-months before your CCT date to confirm if you wanted to opt-in, or opt out, of a Period of Grace.
If you are remaining until the end of your Period of Grace you do not need to formally resign.
If you opted-in to a Period of Grace but subsequently decide you no longer require this, you must submit your resignation to the Lead Employer (please include your specialty in the subject line , and your GMC number in the body of the email), with 3-months notice, confirming that your last day of employment will be your CCT date (or the specific date you want to be your last day of employment if you want to use only part of your period of grace, or are less than 3 months from your CCT date).
Notice period
All surgical training programmes that lead to CCT have a 3-month notice period. You must give 3-months notice to the Lead Employer when resigning.
If you want to leave the training programme at any date before your employment contract end date (including during your Period of Grace), you must notify the Lead Employer (Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals), giving 3 months notice. You do not need to wait for your outcome 6 ARCP to be issued to submit your resignation.
Please email lead.employer@merseywestlancs.nhs.uk, with your specialty in the subject line, and your GMC number if the body of the email, confirming the specific date you want to be your last day of employment.
If you need to give less than 3-months notice, this is possible only with the agreement of your Training Programme Director (TPD) and the host trust affected. Once you have agreement of your TPD and the affected host trust organisation. After you have agreement of your TPD and host trust, please complete the Lead Employer's Early Resignation form.
It is our normal practice to revalidate trainees at CCT; however, we are unable to do so if you connect to a new Responsible Officer/Designated Body before a revalidation recommendation is made. Please do not disconnect from NHS England until you receive confirmation of your revalidation from the GMC.
If you disconnect from NHS England before a revalidation recommendation is made, your new Responsible Officer will need to make the recommendation. This can delay the process because they do not have direct evidence of your practice. NHS England is unable to reconnect you to make a recommendation if you disconnect yourself before you are revalidated.
When you take up a new post and you have received confirmation of revalidation at CCT it is important that you update the GMC with the name of your new Designated Body and Responsible Officer. You will need to log on to GMC Online to do this. If you are not sure who your new Designated Body/Responsible Officer is, then please contact the GMC.
If you have any queries about revalidation, please visit the revalidaton pages of our website, or email our revalidation team.
If you received an ARCP outcome 10.2 during your training, it is important that you read this career earnings impact guidance relating to Consultant appointments. Please note that it is the responsibility of the resident doctor to provide their employer with verification of the outcome 10.2 delay to training and pay progression. You therefore need to ensure that you download evidence of your ARCP 10.2(s) prior to your CCT date.
Last updated 15 January 2026