Essential documents

How do I apply for less than full-time training?
Download the Less than Full Time Training Eligibility Application Form then email or post the form to Janet Burns.

Regulation booklet
The full booklet outlining Less Than Full Time Training can be downloaded by clicking this link

Process flow chart
The process of application for LTFT can be viewed by clicking this link to the online document.

Less than Full Time Training (LTFT)

Who is eligible for less than full-time training?

Less than full-time training is accessible to doctors in training who have a well-founded reason for being unable to work full-time. In practice, the majority of doctors are women and men who wish to look after their young children for part of the week, and there are a small number who look after other family members. Also eligible are people who have physical or mental health problems, who would like to continue their training but are unable to do so full-time.

Training commitment

The normal working week

COGPED has defined the normal working week as ten sessions of four hours. This should consist of the equivalent of:

7 clinical sessions [28 hours]
1 session [4 hours] for the locality half-day / day release course
1 session [4 hours] of structured education e.g. tutorials, debriefs
1 session [4 hours] independent learning

The independent learning session may be utilised for completing audit or other written work, external clinics, or private study e.g. MRCGP preparation. The Trainer should monitor the content and learning outcomes of independent learning.

Clinical and educational times are both reduced on a pro-rata basis for less than full-time training. Example Working at 60% the less-than full-time doctor’s working week would be:

4.2 clinical sessions [16.8 hours]
0.6 session [2.4 hours] for the locality half-day / day release course
0.6 session [2.4 hours] of structured education e.g. tutorials, debriefs
0.6 session [2.4 hours] independent learning

If a doctor wishes to attend the half-day release on a weekly basis then this is at the expense of independent learning time.

For a twelve month (full-time equivalent) period in general practice the minimum out-of-hours experience of 72 hours applies, but the less than full-time doctor will have a longer period to acquire this requirement.

Less than full-time training must be an accurate reflection of full-time training, but on a pro-rata basis. Doctors undertaking less than full-time training should participate in all the medical activities carried out by the department where they work, including on-call duties in the evenings and weekends. They should be prepared to and expect that they will be required to work at any time of the week and at any time of the year, in the same way as their full-time colleagues.

If a doctor is unable to fulfil the basic requirement of availability on a regular basis, it may be that less than full-time training is inappropriate at this stage of their career. In other words, both employers and doctors in training must be flexible to a reasonable degree.

Timing of LTFT

HOSPITAL COMPONENT

Slot Sharing East Midlands Healthcare Workforce Deanery promotes slot sharing on a 50% basis, each individual undertaking 50% of both in-hours and out-of-hours work and will no longer support supernumerary placements other than in exceptional circumstances.

INNOVATIVE TRAINING POSTS AND LESS THAN FULL-TIME TRAINING

Many GP specialty training programme's have innovative training posts (ITPs) as part of their full-time schemes. Innovative training posts are based in general practice but incorporate secondment's to relevant community and hospital settings.

For example, an innovative training post in women’s health might include three days each week based in general practice with attachments to family planning and sexual health clinics for the other days.

However, undertaking an ITP on a less than full-time basis means that both the general practice and hospital secondment experience risk being diluted within the working week. Care should be exercised therefore in planning an ITP on a less than full-time basis to ensure that the Registrar’s learning needs can be adequately met.

ANNUAL REVIEW OF COMPETENCE PROGRESSION (ARCP)

The Gold Guide paragraph 7.50 states that doctors in training should have a review at least annually, therefore those training on a less then full-time basis will have an annual review even though a gateway may not have been reached.

Workplace based assessments

In order to have sufficient evidence to determine an appropriate outcome at an ARCP review, the panel require a minimum date set of workplace based assessments. So for each annual review the less than full-time doctor will need to produce every 12 months

Whilst in ST1 or ST2 training

Whilst in ST3 training

YOUR TRAINING

The less than full-time doctor must do pro rata daytime working, on call and OOHs of a full-time trainee in the same grade and specialty.

On-call

Less than full-time doctors are expected to work on-call on a pro-rata basis. The underlying European legislation is incorporated into the PMETB Order regarding specialty training. European employment legislation allows women in late pregnancy, or who are breast-feeding, to be exempt from on-call duties, however the impact on training must be considered and in some circumstances training may need to be extended.

Study and annual leave

Less than full-time doctors are entitled to the same amount of study leave funding as full-timers and pro rata time allowance for study and annual leave.

Completion of training

Your training period will be extended on a strictly pro-rata basis. If there are any changes to your training (maternity leave, sick leave, changing number of sessions etc), the Deanery can re-calculate the length of your remaining training and your revised CCT date.