Ahead of planned parental leave there are a number of actions a Foundation doctor needs to take in preparation for as well as during the parental leave period and ahead of their return to training, which have been detailed on this page.
Who needs to know about Maternity or Parental Leave?
The following people need to be informed of the expected dates of leave:
• Foundation Programme Team england.foundation.wx@nhs.net
• Foundation Programme Coordinator at your employing Trust
• Human Resources (HR) Department at the employing Trust. The required notice is set out in NHS Employers Terms and Conditions.
How will parental leave affect pay and contracts?
Medical HR will liaise with the Foundation doctor regarding parental leave pay. The doctor should also notify their future placement that they planned to rotate to if it will be affected by their parental leave.
If the employment contract with the current employer is due to end less than 11 weeks before the start of parental leave, it may need to be extended to prevent any impact to statutory leave pay. If any Foundation doctor feels they will be in this situation they should discuss with their employer and Foundation Programme Manager at the earliest opportunity.
Once the Foundation Programme team have the confirmed dates of parental leave, the information will be shared with the Foundation Programme Director and HR Department at the employer. It is the responsibility of the Foundation doctor to give their employer appropriate formal notice of their parental leave according to the terms of their contract of employment.
How does Parental leave affect the ePortfolio, ARCP and Revalidation?
Foundation doctors should liaise with their local Foundation Programme Coordinator about the information that should be included on their Horus ePortfolio.
All Foundation doctors must complete a Form R every 12 months. This requirement continues during parental leave. The Foundation Programme team will contact you to request the form if required.
Ahead of parental leave we encourage all Foundation doctors to ensure that all evidence in their ePortfolio is up to date.
During parental leave an ARCP will be planned, if it is due, however this will only need an up-to-date Form R which is recorded on the ARCP certificate as an N2 Outcome
If you have questions about the ARCP process, Revalidation, or Form R, please contact the Foundation Programme Team
Annual Leave and Keep In Touch Days
Foundation doctors should discuss annual leave entitlement with their employer. During parental leave annual leave will accrue this accrued leave must be taken in one block at the end of parental leave. The Foundation Programme will not support the use of accrued annual leave to work less than full time after parental leave. The annual leave that is accrued while on parental leave does not count towards training time. Training time will recommence from the date the Foundation doctor physically returns to the workplace.
Keep in Touch (KIT) days allow a Foundation doctor to work during parental leave under their contract of employment without affecting SMP/MA entitlement. They can include training days and other activities that allow the employee to keep in touch with the workplace. The employer will be able to confirm if they offer this scheme and how many days the doctor is eligible to use. A Foundation doctor may be paid their basic pay for these days (less maternity pay) with prior agreement from the employer. NHSE do not provide funding for KIT days.
GMC Registration
Foundation doctors must maintain their GMC registration with a licence to practise whilst on parental leave.
Returning to Training
Foundation doctors must provide the required notice of their intended return to training dates to their employer, Foundation Programme Team (england.foundation.wx@nhs.net), and Foundation Programme Coordinator at their employing Trust. They should also use this opportunity to advise of any changes to their circumstances that may affect the planning of their return to training placements. The Foundation doctor should be kept informed of their rotations with at least 12 weeks’ notice as required by the Code of Practice. Any queries or concerns about placements, should be directed to the Foundation Programme Director or Foundation Programme Manager.
We encourage all Foundation doctors to promptly attend to communications to ensure that all parental leave and return to training arrangements are in place and to also keep us updated with any changes to their plans throughout their pregnancy and parental leave.
Foundation doctors that wish to return to training Less Than Full Time should firstly review the LTFT guidance. Doctors should apply via the online MS Form which is submitted directly to the LTFT team to consider the applicants eligibility.
It should be noted that the required period of notice for a new LTFT application or change of percentage is 16 weeks before the start of the standard rotation dates. In Foundation training these are August, December and April each year.
Supported Return to Training (SuppoRTT): Foundation doctors should access the available information on Supported Return to Training and must meet with their Educational Supervisor or Foundation Programme Director approximately 12 weeks before their intended return date, to complete a pre return to training form