Workforce, training and education
Yorkshire and Humber

Less Than Full Time Training

NHS England , working across Yorkshire and Humber (NHSE YH) offers support to all Postgraduate Doctors in Training (PGDiTs) who, for well-founded individual reasons, wish to be considered for Less than Full-time Training (LTFT). The key aims of LTFT training are:

• To retain doctors within the NHS workforce who are unable to train on a full-time basis  

• To promote career development and work/life balance for doctors training within the NHS  

• To ensure continued training in programmes on a time-equivalent (pro rata) basis

• To maintain a balance in LTFT arrangements with regards to educational needs and those of the service  

New LTFT Process from 1st March 2023

NHS England have refreshed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on LTFT arrangements to ensure greater flexibility for Doctors in Training.  This work has been part of the Enhancing Junior Doctors Working Lives aligns closely to Gold Guide 9th Edition. 

A regional project group of NHS England managers and administrators, Trust representatives and Postgraduate Doctors in Training (with input from Heads of Schools and Training Programme Directors) have worked on a local process that aligns to the overarching NHS England LTFT Standard Operating Procedure

The high-level changes to the process are detailed below. Please read the SOP and the guidance documents attached which will be added to our website by 1st March.     

  • Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists in Training will meet with their TPDs prior to submitting their application 

  • Traditional categories are removed, anyone can consider LTFT 

  • Trusts are consulted with on applications that have less than 12-weeks' notice 

  • Ros Roden, (Professional Support Clinical Lead) will be the LTFT lead 

  • LTFT East, South and West inboxes will cease to exist, applications will be managed by the School Programme Support Teams 

  • All the documentation has been updated and will be added to the website on 1st March 

  • There will be one form in use across the Deanery 

  • Everyone will follow the same process irrespective of School (e.g specialty or Foundation), profession (e.g. Medical or Dental) 

The new policy will come into effect on 1st March 2023. Any new applications to work LTFT received on or after the 1st March should follow the new process and should be submitted on the new application form. Any applications currently part-way through the process will complete under the previous arrangements. 

The process will be reviewed by our project team in July 2023, and we will be contacting Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists in Training, Trusts and Faculty for feedback as part of this review. 

Peer Support

You can find support from your peers on LTFT below!

Facebook:  A group of volunteer admins, who are also LTFT Postgraduate Doctors in Training (PGDiTs), run a Facebook group for all LTFT doctors.  This is a public forum intended to offer peer support, respond to common LTFT queries and sign-post for further advice.  This group is searchable on Facebook as 'LTFT Postgraduate Doctors in Training (PGDiTs) Forum', and there are a series of joining questions.

WhatsApp There is a WhatsApp group for Yorkshire and the Humber LTFT doctors.  It is intended to enable supporting each other, responding to common queries and sign posting for further advice within the region.  If anyone wishes to join this group please contact either michelle.horridge1@nhs.net or maddyforgartyhover@gmail.com to request this.

The rules for participating in either of these groups are in line with all online activity: be polite, kind professional and respectful and don't post anything you wouldn't be prepared to sign.

Documentation

All the documents have been refreshed to align with the new policy:

If you need any support contact your Programme Support Team, you can find their contact details on our Contact Us page.

Training

We held a training session on the 8th March 2023 for Faculty, a record of the meeting is here.

The Trainee Executive Forum (TEF) will be holding training sessions for Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists in Training, dates will be published shortly.

Helpful Resources for Trainers

Trainers (and Postgraduate Doctors in Training PGDiTs!) may find the below resources helpful

  • TPD Crib Sheet to support the conversation with the postgraduate doctor in training
  • Roles and Responsibilities explains the roles of those involved in the new process
  • This video is an example of the conversation between a Training Programme Director (TPD) and a Postgraduate Doctor in Training (PGDiT)
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