Useful Information and Guidance
This page contains useful information for our Trusts and Practices, FTPDs, other Schools and Regions.
Contact details and additional supporting documents can also be found at the bottom of this page.
Our Mandate
Aspiring to Excellence in Education through our:
- Hub events, clinical and non-clinical
- Simulation: Hi-fidelity, VR, Trust based procedural and human factors
- Trust-based generic training programmes
- And our innovative taught programme,
Developing strong training programmes, which are broad and balanced and provide our trainees with the knowledge to confidently move into core and run-through programmes
- Regular review of rotations within trusts, recently refreshing the EAFS
- Team review of GMC survey results and other trainee feedback to improve
- Innovative educational academic programmes
Seeing the whole person, and supporting them to achieve their full potential
- Local support, and central support as required
- Resilience, mindfulness and tea with empathy availability at trusts
- Near peer mentoring or buddy schemes
- Supporting those requiring adjustments or less than full time training.
This contains the latest guidance, stats and facts around foundation.
UKFPO is the go-to site for more detailed information on:
Curriculum - includes eportfolio, PSA, ARCP information, Assessment [WBA] information and the new foundation guide 2019 and the foundation operational policy as well as F2 standalone and IFST policies. The FSD/Faculty will forward you policy updates from UKFPO and highlight these at foundation forum, but it is expected you will have read these and be familiar.
UKFPO website: https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/
Please consider joining our FTPD/MEM WhatsApp group [email one of the FSDs if you wish to join, with your mobile number]. It isn't busy, but we do use it to send out regular quick updates that predate our emails. It is also a great resource for asking questions and talking to the FTPDs in other trusts.
An FTPD Induction PowerPoint can be downloaded here, please take the time to read through this, as it will provide an overview of the FTPD role. It covers some of the following areas:
- Education
- Assessments
- Training
- Programme Management
- Trainee Support
It is anticipated this will be read in conjunction with the foundation guide on the UKFPO website, as well as other documents residing there. We plan to run a workshop twice a year - at either the Autumn Seminar or the joint FTPD/DME meeting and at the Faculty Development day.
Our deputy FSD are available to mentor FTPD who are alone at a trust, or where all FTPD are new, so please do get in touch.
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Autumn or Spring Seminar [Tier 4 educator training event, non specific]
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Joint DME/FTPD meeting [Mixture of business and workshops aimed at trust facing foundation/DME joint concerns]
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Autumn foundation forum [Usually AM workshop in GMC Foundation business meeting PM]
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Spring faculty development day [Workshops to develop foundation, and feedback from fellow projects]
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May foundation forum [Hub and taught programme planning in AM, and foundation business meeting PM]
Our FTPD are expected to attend a minimum of three of these meetings a year.
If the FTPD cannot attend a meeting, it is expected another FTPD from that trust, the DME or MEM to attend in their place. These meetings are used both to inform on UKFPO/national strategy, but also to set and audit our local strategies for foundation, working in a collegiate way. A good flow of ideas both ways helps us improve foundation year on year, and all be up to date with policies, strategies, concerns and wider circumstances…and we like seeing you!
These should be considered as PA's already in your job plan as part of this role, and trusts should accommodate changes to the clinical roster to accommodate this.
Faculty Development is available for educators and aspiring educators in the region.
There are specific events for Tier 4 educators which we would encourage you to attend as part of your ongoing learning.
We also expect attendance at our regional meetings where we set the agenda for foundation training.
Please refer to the Faculty Development section of the website for information on what is available https://heeoe.hee.nhs.uk/faculty-educators/faculty-development
You will write one of these each year, it discusses how what you have done fits into the requirements of the Foundation programme: education, training, support, and the initiatives within Foundation. It also discusses quality, GMC outcomes and improvements planned, ARCP details. From this it moves into themes, plans you may have for improvement. Some of the elements are on yours or your trusts attendance at central meetings and your CPD/leadership, as this is part of the importance of the foundation programme to your trust that they allow and promote attendance. It is a really important document of the delivery of foundation in your trust, and is stored at HEE EoE. It is the basis for the Foundation Schools development plan, and the Trust development plan. It replaces the QM reports that were previously done.
We ask that when completed, you make an appointment to meet your relevant deputy [Helen or Ritwik] to go through this with them, and then we would anticipate an appraisal with them a minimum of one in 3 years, though this can be done on alternate years with the DME on discussion between FTPD/FSD/DME.
Foundation trainees are required to complete a mandatory 60 hour taught programme per year, 30 hours of ‘core’ centrally directed teaching, and 30 hours ‘non-core’ flexible component.
The pie chart below provides a visual breakdown of what is expected. Full requirements of the taught programme can be found in the Taught Programme Guidance Document
You can see that each trainee is anticipating 3 days of simulation activity per year. This consists of our full day of simulation (Hi-fidelity), the VR and a facilitated session.
Virtual Reality (VR): We are looking to see the trainee determin best was of utilising VR, and hope they will do so on their own, in small peer groups, and have 1 or 2 opportunities to do so with an ES or senior trainee who can talk them through how they felt doing it. It would also add value to discuss real life similar cases, or how things might differ. [Please develop your own best practice and share ideas with your colleagues].
Remaining Sim: The trust then has 1 1/2 days of sim to arrange, this can be: further facilitated VR sim, procedure sessions [core for F1 and non-core for F2] departmental based skills and drills. We will ask the FTPD during the ADP to show what they did for the year, and how they are going to develop next year.
Charleen Liu, our Sim lead will be surveying our trainees to see what simulation was provided Our sim lead is there to help you engage your trust and colleagues in simulation.
We ask that each trainee has 20 hours of taught programme per rotation and this should be reviewed by the ES. The study leave required for the taught programme is mandatory at trust level. It is the teaching programme, so please ensure that all departments release trainees for this.
Hub Days: These have been quite an innovation, and strategically will be successful for a trainee focussed and flexible delivery. The administration behind this has been difficult. We particularly ask that to make it work:
- All trusts should have their hub days agreed with our FTPD lead [Zilley Khan] by mid-June, earlier if possible
- Each trust is asked to provide 3-4 clinical hubs dependent on their size. These should include careers, foundation focus, view of specialty for training, simulation, interactive/workshop elements.
- To reduce burden on trusts, we are looking to provide the majority of the professional/non clinical/non simulation hubs centrally
- We will look for a better/easier booking process
- We will open for booking [assuming the trusts have given us dates and subjects] by the start of PFPP week
- We ask that the trusts have hubs and booking as part of induction for F1 and F2, so that the majority are booked in august
- We will not run hubs in August/September to allow for study leave notice 6 weeks.
- In the May foundation forum, we will review the past and look to the future!
- These also should be part of the ADP forms and discussion with the relevant deputies.
Trainees will be required to book study leave time locally for all elements of the taught programme, some activities will require additional approval of the FTPD.
When the trainee wants to apply for study leave funding the time must be approved locally, with the addition of the study leave form which must be signed by the FTPD and FSD prior to attendance.
Detailed study leave guidance for foundation trainees can be found in the Study Leave guidance for foundation programme
The majority of ARCPs will take place will take place at the local Trust, we liaise with local admins to determine which trainees need to be seen centrally for their ARCP.
We collate all checklists and TOI forms for F1 trainees and all checklists and completion of the destination survey for F2’s to allow us to sign trainees off on Horus and pass on any necessary information onto FY2 TPDs following the completion of FY1.
GMC & revalidation – Upon the receipt of F1 trainees ARCP outcome 1 we Create and Submit certificates of experience to GMC for all of our FY1 EA, EBH and International trainees in order for them apply for full registration. These are usually all submitted by the end of July but of course differs for any trainees whom are out of sync.
Overview of F1 & F2 ARCP Process
We decided at the ARCP day that trainees that had prolonged single episode sickness absence with no other concerns [ie surgery ] could have an interim ARCP with an N1 code on their return, and an agreed plan for a further 4 months training and ARCP at the end of that. You must discuss this with the relevant FSD when this occurs so that the additional placement is obtained, and that the FSD, assessment and programmes team are all aware.
The UKFPO curriculum and assessments guidance
I have placed the checklists for 2019/2020 ARCP below which we reviewed and determined an agreed form at the dec 17th 2019 meeting.
It is really important as panel chair that you have read the foundation guide, understand the different codes, run the appropriate process in line with this and our local ARCP training. This is a GMC mandated activity and your responsibility.
We run a short update for all new FTPD and are available for advice in time via WhatsApp or messages.
We will have a lay panel member at a minimum of 2 trusts in each school each year. This lay member is provided by HEE, please contact the assessment team.
ARCP Dates
We plan going forwards to always have our central ARCP dates at roughly the same time each year, and the assessment team will notify trusts of these dates significantly in advance -
- Main ARCP: the 1st/second week of July two planned whole dates [this year 3rd and 9th July 2020]
- Out of sync November: first or second week a half day
- Out of sync March: first or second week a half day
Trusts will be required to complete all their local ARCPs a minimum of two weeks before this, and FTPD should be available on the out of sync sessions if they have trainees requiring an ARCP in that rotation in case an Outcome 3 central panel is required.
Common N codes
Trainee Sick Leave Trainee on long term sickness or other health issues have impacted on ability to complete the year of training being reviewed. N1
Trainee Maternity/ Paternity Leave Trainee cannot be reviewed whilst on maternity leave N2
Less than full time (LTFT) – no concern Achieving progress and the development of outcomes at the expected rate. N14
Less than full time (LTFT) – some concern May not be achieving progress or development of outcomes at the expected rate. N15
The trainee has left the training programme prior to its completion. N12 Please specify if:
• no remedial training prior to resignation N21
• received remedial training prior to resignation N22
Please click here to view the ARCP flowchart
At least half of professional practice week should be shadowing. The funding from HEE for this weeks salary is predominantly to support shadowing, the requirements the trust places to start well. It shouldn't include trust mandatory training.
We encourage the use of e-learning and e-induction. We would encourage the consideration of taking many of the lecture based elements and having a local 'curriculum' to demonstrate how to do these 'in vivo' as part of the shadowing process. [we might talk about that with any FTPD who pilots this and consider whether it is something all trusts would do]
The UKFPO do a national induction survey which we forward on to our FTPD. Please encourage completion. The trainees particularly want the opportunity to shadow out of hours - so consider a twighlight or weekend day option.
ATSP - the ask to see patient is a great trainee driven scheme, please encourage it.
It is anticipated that each trust will track all their trainees portfolios formally a minimum of 3 times a year: at the end of the first and second rotations, and at ARCP. This should be read against the requirements for ARCP for SLE, teaching hours as well as supervisor reports.
The Foundation School will ask for a summary of these reports, and also any trainees who are felt to be likely to need additional time or more support that provided at trust level to achieve an Outcome 1 or 6.
It is anticipated that each trust will quality assure the process of trainees completing HORUS attached to their trust in an accurate and timely manner, and also the use of placement supervision group, clinical supervisor and educational supervisor reports.
Evidence of this will be placed within the Annual Development Form.
We have a webpage for you! This is also a good resource for our FTPD and Foundation administrators to find out what is expected for foundation trainees in GP.
For information on becoming an Associate Trainer, funding placements or gaining approval to be a Training Practice, please visit this page for further information, or contact the GP School. You can also download this quick guide to GP training in foundation.
Email the Relocation Expenses team at Health Education East of England with queries about travel expenses.
For further information please click here to access the "Process for FTPDs when a GP practise is interested or requesting to take FY2s for GP placements"
Contact the Quality Improvement team if you have a query about Quality Monitoring Visits.
The FSD team will drop in for informal visits also and are always keen to help troubleshoot.
Each year we ask that you have completed your Annual Development Plans, which are a comprehensive review of your foundation programme. Centrally we turn these into a schools plan.
Recruitment:
The Recruitment Team run the Foundation Programme, Foundation Priority Programme and Academic Foundation Programme recruitment processes here in the East of England from advertisement through to appointment and trainee allocation to programmes following national guidance from the UKFPO. We work closely with the programmes team ensuring all programmes agreed are uploaded to Oriel to advertise by the required deadlines. The Recruitment Team are on hand to answer any queries you may have in regard to the recruitment process and Oriel. Email the Recruitment Team here.
Locum Recruitment:
The most up to date information about the LAT posts can be found here including all current documentation.
Programme Management:
The Programme Management Team keep a record of EoE Foundation posts and liaise with the Recruitment team to upload to Oriel for applicants. Once offers have been accepted and allocations confirmed, the team keep a record of our Foundation doctors on the Trainee Information System (TIS). Usually the 6 placements for the 2 year programme stay the same, as they were allocated upon recruitment. However, if a trainee goes on sick leave or parental leave etc. then the Programmes Management Team liaises with the Foundation School Directors to find a suitable extra placement to extend their training, trainees must notify us of time out of training. We don’t just hold information on the trainee’s placements, but also contact details, so it is important for trainees to keep us updated with any changes, for example email, telephone, address. We are here to support trainees in any way we can, especially in regards to their placement details. Email the Programme Management Team here.
The Programme Management Team also manage our information on trainees out of sync and posts vacancies, so we ask all FTPD and MEM to update programmes and relevant FSD regularly.
A few things that trainees need to know:
- When they will be allocated their jobs on Oriel
- That they will get a confirmation email of their next placement 12 weeks prior to rotation
- OOP applications should be submitted 6 months prior to the date you wish to commence your OOP Email the OOP Team here
The quick YouTube video below [a first!] gives some information around priority programmes for GP but is how the other thematic programmes will run as well.
Additional information on priority programmes can be found here: https://heeoe.hee.nhs.uk/foundation/foundation-recruitment/priority-programmes
Remember we have a no swap policy, but under exceptional circumstances, or where mandated by PSW, this can be organised. There is a form to complete, so please ensure the PSW Team are contacted at the earliest opportunity.
We also have a making up missed time policy for when 20+ days are missed. This usually means a further 4-month rotation at that level. There is also the OOPC and OOPR mentioned in the foundation guide, and trainees must have applied by January for this.
Trainees may have other statutory leave: e.g. parental leave, or working at LTFT
HEE EoE is committed to providing excellent education and training for doctors and dentists in its postgraduate training programmes.
Despite training being rewarding, there are occasions where a trainee may need some extra support to help them through a difficult situation.
The Professional Support and Well-being service recognise that training to become a Consultant or GP takes considerable time, determination, effort and skill. During this time trainees will inevitably undergo periods where they need additional support. This may be as a result of encountering adverse clinical events, experiencing a variety of wider life events or struggling with concerns relating to training and / or career progression.
It is recognised that there are times when trainees would benefit from increased and specialist support, beyond which the clinical and educational supervisor can provide. The Professional Support and Well-being service is able to provide this support for both trainees and their educators.
Managing trainees in need of extra support
Trainees who are at risk of poor performance or who will require extra support for any reason, should in the first instance be highlighted by the national Transfer of Information (TOI) process from their medical schools.
Appropriate support should be established at the start of the training programme, in agreement between the FTPD and the trainee.
If the trainee encounters unanticipated difficulties, initial assessments and remediation will take place within their Trust in consultation between the Educational Supervisor and FTPD. It is anticipated that most of these issues can be resolved at Trust level.
However, if the FTPD identifies a need for:
- Remedial training
- Occupational Health support
- Less than Full Time Training
then they should contact the Foundation School Director for advice.
"Trainee In Difficulty"
If the FTPD and Educational Supervisor are unable to put measures in place to ensure the trainee’s fitness to practise, and there is a serious risk to patient safety or the trainee’s own wellbeing, the FTPD should inform:
• Foundation School Director
• Trust’s Medical Director
• Trust’s Human Resources department
• Occupational Health
At this stage the FTPD should request a meeting between the trainee, the Foundation School Director and the HEEoE Professional Support and Wellbeing Service (PSW)
Click here for the PSW definition of "Level 3 concern", which indicates a "Trainee in Difficulty".
Click here for the EAFS guidance on managing doctors with differing needs
Flexible Training
The trainee may decide, in consultation with the FTPD, to consider Less Than Full Time Training or an Inter-Foundation School Transfer.
Please email servicedesk.horus@hee.nhs.uk if you have a technical problem.
Medical staff at Trusts have administrative rights allowing them to edit and update trainee information and can change the location assigned to a trainee if this is preventing you from accessing an account. Unfortunately, we don't have specialist knowledge of Horus functions and can't offer technical advice or support.
Work is currently being undertaken to allow LAS doctors to have access to Horus - we will email details when they are available.
We know that many of our trusts are undergoing reconfiguration as part of a shift in work activity or mergers. Please discuss early with your FSD any changes. There are two main 'rules':
- We will not permit trainees to do OOH acute work at a different trust to their acute base hospital [we do allow for some acute work at base acute trust whilst on community placements].
- There should be no changes of acute base hospital within the year.
Please note that due to hospital mergers:
- Bedford has moved into EBH, though it maintains some rotations with Addenbrookes
- Colchester has moved into EAFS though it maintains some rotations with Mid Essex
January:
Trainees need to have applied for OOPR or OOPC.
Let us know all the F1 trainees who are definitely, probably and maybe going to need additional time in that year so we can plan their extension. F1 or F2. Let us know of your predicted vacancies. FSD and programmes team.
March:
Let us know your final F2 vacancies for recruitment after we have placed our trainees out of sync.
May:
Code of practice
June:
Confirm your spreadsheets are accurate for following year recruitment and any additional trainee requirements post ARCP.
We do not currently have any swaps. Trainees may have exceptional circumstances, which needs agreeing by the FSD as well as local FTPD and then need to complete the placement changes form paperwork.
You also need to complete the form from the programme team for any change in post in rotations. all posts need to be prospectively approved by the GMC through our quality team.
The recruitment team actually place the posts on ORIEL and troubleshoot. The details though around the different elements should be discussed with your deputy FSD/FSD and the programmes team.
Click here for a comprehensive list of HEEoE policies and procedures.
Please refer to the UKFPO website if you have a query relating to national policy.
Each year some trainees relinquish their training post prior to completing F2 for a variety of reasons. We recommend that all such trainees read the latest information about applying for higher training, as they will need to complete their Foundation programme in a recognised post [not a LAS or trust doctor post]. This was specifically to stop trainees leaving after F1 to do not approved clinical fellow posts with the expectation of progression in a preferred geography. Foundation is a two year programme. If trainees need to leave due to health or carer etc reasons then there are some other routes to considert: an IFST - inter-foundation school transfer, there are some strict criteria around this, but could be considered, or an OOPE or OOPC when they may need to go to support family and wish to have a possibility of return the following august - all needs discussing with FSD.
The 2019 guidance around evidence of foundation competence document can be downloaded below, and this is the relevant section.
Please also refer to the Oriel website for information on Certificate of Readiness for Specialty Training for latest wordings
we advise the trainees as below:
Before leaving your training programme:
- you must have an ARCP with your FTPD and provide a Form R, you will be given an outcome code of N21- resignation with no training issues or N22- Resignation with training issues.
- you must notify the Trust HR Department, the Deputy FSD for your region, and the HEE Programme Management Team.
'I started but did not complete a full Foundation Programme. Can I still apply?'
Not unless you can provide evidence of addressing your outstanding educational needs. Time simply served in other posts does not count. All CT1/ST1 person specifications have as one of their eligibility criteria: Not ever relinquished or been released or removed from a UK Foundation Programme or a stand-alone Foundation Year 2 post or its equivalent without subsequent evidence of completion/remediation. This would normally require you to return to the Foundation Programme to complete the outstanding requirements.
If you did leave the foundation programme at FY1, you would then need to complete an FY2 training programme in its entirety [through FY2 LAT]
Trainees who have left our programme due to significant health concerns should contact us around how they may return into training if appropriate in the future. we would look to provide an F2 gap for an August start wherever possible rather than requiring a standalone application. We can only provide a placement in this foundation school not broker posts elsewhere, and placements are limited to the availability.
Those that leave training after FY2 and return to medical training at a later date should look at our SuppoRRT pages or email the FSD/foundation team.
These are the generic mailboxes used by our administrative teams.
· Foundation Recruitment: recruitment.eoe@hee.nhs.uk
· Foundation Assessment/sign off: assessment.eoe@hee.nhs.uk
· Professional Support Unit (PSW): PSW.eoe@hee.nhs.uk
· Foundation Programmes and information : edit.eoe@hee.nhs.uk
· Foundation School Faculty -educatorsfaculty.eoe@hee.nhs.uk
· Mentoring queries: mentoring.eoe@hee.nhs.uk
