Study Leave Policy

for Doctors in Training and Specialty Registrars in Public Health

Preface

The introduction of Modernising Medical Careers and the establishment of Specialty Schools have given us an opportunity to review our Study Leave management system. Specialty Schools have the responsibility of managing education programmes for their trainees against the GMC approved curricula. They also have a responsibility for ensuring that their trainees get appropriate Study Leave to learn skills that cannot be taught at their base hospital/practice/place of work.

Following National Guidelines, we in the Severn Deanery are promoting the new strategy whereby Specialty Schools hold the Study Leave budget for trainees and manage the process of its authorisation. We believe that this approach will ensure that funding is managed in the best interests of all trainees. One example of this is that there is the potential for better training planning and block-buying of discounted courses, which support the curricula.

However, we also appreciate that the management of Study Leave requires close liaison between clinical departments/departments, rota co-ordinators, medical staffing and Postgraduate Medical Education Departments. The co-ordination of a collaborative approach is key to the implementation of a successful new process.

We implemented the change and created appropriate infrastructures across all Speciality and Foundation Schools in April 2009.

The purpose of this Policy document is to detail the overarching Deanery approach to the management of Study Leave. However, we have also provided the opportunity for each Specialty School to define mandatory and approved courses, within the main framework.

We welcome any comments to improve this document and look forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the Study Leave process is both transparent and effective for all postgraduate trainees.

Prof Selena Gray, Deputy Postgraduate Dean

Definition

Study Leave, as defined in this Policy, covers both time taken and costs incurred in undertaking Study Leave.

In terms of the types of activities Study Leave covers, these include: internal training courses, external training courses, private study time, e-learning and examinations.

Certain activities are not covered by Study Leave - see section Eligibility and Exclusions.

Responsibilities

Here follows a list of stakeholders in the Study Leave process and their responsibilities.

National

National responsibilities are:

Provision of a clear Study Leave policy
Harmonisation of funding arrangements

Severn Deanery

The Severn Deanery has provided the following support for the Study Leave process:

Clear Deanery Study Leave policy - agreed with all Trusts, Specialty and Foundation School and Education Providers (available on the Deanery website).
Harmonisation of funding arrangements across Specialties/Foundation School.
Standardisation of funding allowance for each year of training.
Creation of an appeals system.
Development of generic application forms.

Specialty and Foundation Schools

Each Specialty and Foundation School in the Severn Deanery has a common approach, standard forms and flow charts.

Additionally they provide a list of mandatory and desirable courses for their trainees to undertake at each stage of training.

A key list of contacts for each School will be provided on their websites. In some Trusts, without Postgraduate Centre Managers, responsibility might fall to a Director of Medical Education or nominated member of medical staffing.

Local Education Providers

Local Education Providers have confirmed that suitable arrangements to cover leave have been made and other requirements, such as induction and mandatory training, have been undertaken.

Aims

Study Leave aims to:

Enhance clinical education, training and learning.
Be incorporated as an integral part of the education and training process.
Provide education and training not easily acquired in the clinical setting e.g. the acquisition of a theoretical knowledge base.
Support the delivery of curriculum targets.
Be considered as part of the appraisal process between the trainee and their Educational Supervisor.

Purpose of Study Leave for Specialist and Foundation Trainees

Specialist Trainees only:

Study Leave can be used for:

Attendance at courses to assist with preparation for examinations private study prior to examinations and for attendance at the examinations themselves.
Attendance at specialty association meetings as a delegate or presenter.

Second Year Foundation Trainees only:

Trainees should attend a dedicated, structured core educational programme, as described in the "Curriculum for the Foundation Years in Postgraduate Education and Training". The sessions are to be held in protected time during the normal working day and must be bleep free. Foundation Year 2 doctors must be released for attendance.

Eligibility and Exclusions

Using Modernising Medical Careers categories, those Trainees who are eligible for Study Leave are as follows:

Foundation Programme (F2 only).
Specialist Trainees (including the Public Health Training Programme and the GP Training Programme except for those in general practice placements).
Fixed Term Specialty Training Appointments (FTSTA).
Locum Appointments For Training (LAT).
Academic Clinical Fellows/Academic Clinical Lecturer posts.
Trainees in their "grace period" post CCT.
Military trainees in a Severn placement are permitted to receive access to the same education and training opportunities as their civilian colleagues. Therefore, funding will be provided for training taken during this placement period and time off to attend will be granted. All such courses/training would need relevant approval and should be processed as per the Study Leave guidelines on the Severn Deanery website.

Plus all trainees within these categories who are working flexibly.

These items/areas are not eligible for Study Leave:

Study Leave does not include learning and skills development required for clinical governance purposes, for example, induction and mandatory training this is provided by the Trust.
There is no entitlement to Study Leave for individuals who are employed on a Locum Appointments for Service (LAS) contractual basis.
Teaching time, audits, risk management and clinical governance activities within the trainee's Trust are not classed as Study Leave (regional teaching is considered Study Leave).
Out of Programme trainees.

Guidance Notes

General

Here follows points for all trainees to consider when applying for Study Leave.

Approved Study Leave must be relevant to the trainee's educational needs, appropriate to their experience and supportive to the training programme for which the trainee is enrolled and their planned career path.
Trainees must have completed all Trust mandatory training, including induction, prior to requesting Study Leave time or funds.
Taking other paid employment during any period of Study Leave will be considered a disciplinary offence.
Wherever possible trainees should attend courses near to their training base and within their Deanery before requesting external courses.
A trainee seeking Study Leave funding for training will be expected to have shown commitment and participated in other educational opportunities within their training programme prior to their first application.
Trainees should not register or pay for any course or examination prior to obtaining approval for it. Repayments in these circumstances are by no means guaranteed.
Trainees must follow the process of approval as detailed in the standard Foundation School or Specialty documentation, using the forms and procedures as a template (see Appendices).
Trainees must ensure that one Study Leave form is completed for each course, or episode of leave; multiple claims on one form will invalidate the request.
Trainees must obtain authorisation from the relevant person in charge of rotas/arrange for a member of their team to cover Study Leave absences, including any on-call hours.
Trainees must provide a course description including content, previous course evaluation (if available) and overall costing with their application.
Study Leave for overseas courses or conferences will only be approved by the Head of the relevant School in exceptional circumstances.
Study Leave time should be taken evenly throughout the year and not taken in one placement.
Trainees should choose from a list of courses maintained and continually updated by the relevant School. Other applications will be considered on merit. A list of mandatory and desirable courses will be provided on the specialty school websites.
Trainees should complete a Study Leave feedback form with their expenses form at the end of a training course and return to their School Study Leave point of contact as a quality control measure.

Allocation per Trainee

Second Year Foundation Trainees only: each Foundation Year 2 doctor is entitled up to a maximum of 30 days annual study leave. Fifteen days should be used within the Local Education Provider and 15 can be used for regional study days outside the Local Education Provider. Up to 10 days of Study Leave may be used for taster experiences. The remainder may be used for the provision of the generic teaching programme. Trainees are expected to attend 70% of training opportunities, where provided.

Specialty trainees: are entitled to up to a maximum of 30 days Study Leave per year. The year's allocation is calculated from the date of commencement of an appointment or rotation, which normally includes 15 days per annum for in-house educational activities.

Study leave allowance for GP ST1/2 trainees: 60 sessions per academic year (30 days equivalent - 15 internal and 15 external).

In the Severn Deanery the Study Leave allowance is £563 (year 08/09) per trainee per year. This is subject to annual budgetary review. Second year Foundation School trainees will receive £294 (year 08/09) per year. Updated information will be available on the Deanery website.

Trainees who are less than full-time working will be allocated study leave (days) on a pro-rata basis. However, a full study leave budget is available for flexible trainees, to enable them to undertake mandatory courses, which are available to a full-time trainee in the same Specialty.

Trainees in Fixed Term Specialty Training Appointments (FTSTAs) and Locum Appointments for Training (LATs) exceeding three months are entitled to Study Leave on a pro-rata basis.

The Study Leave budget can currently be used for ILS (Intermediate Life Support) or ALS (Advanced Life Support) training and PLS (Paediatric Life Support). However, this is currently under review.

Budget and Expenses

Trainees need to be aware that the cost of courses can vary considerably and not all courses a learner wants to attend will be identified as a need or a feasible option within funding available.

Expenses incurred for Study Leave, which would be considered for payment are:

Approved registration and/or course fees.
travel expenses if no course is available locally, specifically: standard class train and coach fares, economy internal (UK) air fares.
See the "Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook" for information about subsistence allowances.

Approved expenses may only be reimbursed following attendance at the educational activity, with appropriate, original receipts.

Mileage for cars, passengers and pedal cycles will be paid according to the rules in the "Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook".

In accordance with the Deanery Environmental Policy trainees should consider car-sharing when attending the same activity, as appropriate.

Study Leave will only be granted in exceptional circumstances for overseas courses or conferences. In these circumstances, trainees would be allowed to claim return travel expenses to the point of exit from the UK.

Exam fees are not reimbursed but travel and accommodation expenses incurred whilst taking an exam may be claimed.

Application Period

Study Leave should be planned as far in advance as possible.

Requests should be submitted at least six weeks before the proposed start date.

Retrospective applications for Study Leave will not be considered for authorisation.

Trainees should not normally take Study Leave in the first two weeks of the start of any new appointment in a Trust or rotation.

Examinations and Further Training

Examination fees will not be reimbursed.

Study leave will not normally be granted to attend the same course more than once or an examination more than twice, except with specific prior agreement from the trainee's Educational Supervisor and Academic Supervisor for Public Health StRs.

Private Study Leave

Private Study Leave for home-based revision will not be automatically granted. Its aims and objectives should be discussed and agreed between the trainee and their Educational Supervisor and should serve a specific, defined purpose. Private study should only be granted if this does not disrupt the provision of service to patients.

Second year Foundation trainees should not be provided with private Study Leave to undertake preparation for examinations.

Private Study Leave should last no more than one week at any one time.

Maternity Leave

Trainees on maternity leave continue to be entitled to take Study Leave and expenses, within their allowance, during their maternity leave period.

During the maternity leave period, trainees who wish to attend Study Leave activities e.g. training courses, may do so. However, this is a matter of personal preference for the trainee and there is no obligation for them to attend Study Leave activities during the maternity leave period.

Upon return to work after their maternity leave period ends, trainees can use their accrued Study Leave and expenses, applying through the normal approval process. However, we advise that discussions take place between a trainee and their Educational/Clinical Supervisor about balancing patient care/maintaining a clinical service with time taken to undertake Study Leave. This may require negotiation about the period within which such study leave must be taken. We recommend that Supervisors should take a flexible approach in relation to this issue and consider each case on its merits.

Authorisation Criteria

Study Leave will not automatically be granted - trainees need authorisation in advance for both time-off and associated financial support.

Before any Study Leave is approved, the trainee must have agreed a Personal Development Plan, developed with their Educational Supervisor.

It is the responsibility of the trainee to ensure that appropriate approval has been obtained prior to taking Study Leave. Unofficial absence from duty is regarded by the Trust as a breach of contract and may lead to disciplinary action.

Authorisation of Study Leave is based on satisfaction of the following five criteria:

Availability - that the trainee can be released from their normal place of work to attend the requested Study Leave activity.
Relevance - Approved Study Leave must be relevant to the trainee's educational needs, appropriate to their experience and supportive to the training programme for which the trainee is enrolled and their planned career path.
Eligibility - that the trainee has sufficient remaining Study Leave days to cover the requested activity.
Funding - that the trainee has sufficient unallocated funding, within the defined limits, to cover the costs of the activity or the trainee has agreed to self-fund and has indicated this on the application form.
Learning Agreement/Personal Development Plan - that an approved learning agreement or equivalent has been submitted to support the requested activity. Hard copies of learning agreements (or PDPs) recorded in the e-Portfolio should be provided to the relevant Educational Supervisor.

Each Specialty School will use the standard route for approval specific to the School, with details or key contacts on the Specialty website in their own flow-chart (Appendix D). The process is necessary in order to satisfy quality control and recording mechanisms in each stakeholder area.

Appeals

We aim to be as flexible as possible in the interpretation of this policy to allow trainees to obtain the most appropriate and effective Study Leave to support their training; albeit within the confines of service needs and budgetary restrictions.

Any trainee in the Severn Deanery who considers that their request for Study Leave or expenses is unreasonably refused, has the right of appeal to the Postgraduate Dean Professor Davinder Sandhu.

Feedback

If you wish to provide us with feedback for the continuous improvement of the Policy, please respond to Dr Geoffrey Wright, Postgraduate Dean.

Page owned by Chris Vandeleur | Last update 2012-02-09 15:27:50

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