South East Study Leave – Foundation Doctors

This webpage is for resident doctors and colleagues based in Kent, Surrey & Sussex, Thames Valley and Wessex.

Principles of Study Leave

The philosophy of study leave (SL) is based on the broad principles of achieving curriculum capabilities by the end of the two-year generic, broad based Foundation programme. It may also be used to support further appropriate professional development in Foundation doctors’ long-term careers.

SL principles are summarised below:

• SL will normally be granted flexibly and tailored to individual needs, in accordance with the requirements of the curriculum.
• SL is pro-rata for RDs training less than full time (LTFT)
• SL for Foundation Year 1 (F1) doctors (maximum 15 days) and as detailed in the Terms and Conditions for NHS Doctors in training paragraph 36, will take the form of a regular scheduled teaching/training session as agreed locally. In addition, F1 doctors can use up to 5 days of SL (from their F2 study leave allocation) for tasters to inform future career decision making. F1 doctors do not have access to Supporting SL but may access Aspirational SL funding from the F2 allowance to present at a conference or at the UKFP National Foundation Doctors Presentation Day.
• SL for Foundation Year 2 (F2) doctors (maximum 30 days) will comprise employer based or regional teaching/training sessions and leave to sit professional examinations (time only) aligned to future career intentions. SL cannot be used to prepare for specialty examinations. For many F2 doctors, no additional study leave will be required to meet the outcomes of the foundation curriculum. With approval from the Foundation Training Programme Director (FTPD), F2s may undertake one approved supporting external course and in some cases, one aspirational event (conferences only) which requires approval from the Foundation School Director (FSD).
• The study leave application process should be completed at least 6 weeks before the study leave event.
• With the exception of core and non-core teaching, all study leave requires a study leave application and approval for the time off for study leave must be approved by your Rota Coordinator (or equivalent).

All study leave applications must be prospective. Retrospective applications will be rejected.

Allowance

Foundation Year 1 (15 days)

Foundation Year 2 (30 days)

	Study leave activity	Guidance (no. days)
1	Core teaching programme (30 hours per year) Trust-wide, formal and ‘protected’ teaching appropriate to Foundation Doctor level.	5
2	Non-core teaching programme (30 hours per year) May include departmental teaching, grand rounds, journal club, simulation training, e-learning, Balint groups.	5
3	(e) ALS (Not ATLS, APLS or similar – see guidance on optional courses below)	2
4	UKFP National Foundation Doctors Presentation All FD may use 1 day if they have a poster or are the presenting author. Travel expenses funded by aspirational study leave process.	1
5	Taster Days F2 may take up to 10 days aligned with their career interests (of which 5 may be taken in F1)	10
6	Supporting course aligned to career intentions for entry into relevant specialties Please see guidance below. Subject to ES and FTPD approval.
7	Aspirational SL e.g. presentation at a recognised conference when first author
8	SFP/ FPP/ enhance Explorer programmes/ F2 Public Health Fellowships – study leave at the discretion of the Foundation School.

South East Foundation Schools Guidance

The three SE Foundation Schools (KSS, Oxford/Thames Valley and Wessex) have one approach for implementation. Requests for study leave shall be viewed positively in most circumstances, but with a view to ensuring that the needs of service delivery can be safely met.

The guidance below is not meant be too prescriptive as it is recognised that Foundation doctors (FD) are in an early stage of their medical careers, and many are undecided about their medium-to-long- term professional development and career aspirations.

Study leave will be divided into three main categories:

1. Essential (Curriculum Mandated).

2. Supporting

3. Aspirational (formerly Discretionary)

• Curriculum requirements are listed on the Foundation Approved List here. All courses will be delivered locally by Trusts, with no cost incurred by the Foundation Doctor. Such events are marked ‘Trust use only’ on the Approved List.
• FDs must have completed, or provide evidence of plans to complete, mandated courses before other study leave can be approved. Most of the topics on the list in the supporting category (including Acute Simulation) are currently and will continue to be delivered within local teaching programmes.
• Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP) doctors should be attending local academic study days.
• FDs should apply for ALS courses through their employing Trusts, who will take care of the course organisation and delivery, and who will claim back for reimbursement from NHSE WTE in their monthly returns. For FDs, a £300 cap per person is strictly applied to these courses from 1 April 2023, as an ALS course is no longer specified as a requirement in the Foundation curriculum.
• Employing Trusts should always encourage FDs to attend their locally delivered ALS courses where applicable. If a trust is unable to offer an FD a place on a locally delivered ALS course and the FD’s only option is to join a course organised externally, then the FD would need to use their single supporting course allowance to attend.
  

Taster days

To support career planning, foundation doctors can take up to 10 taster days across F1 and F2 (up to 5 days can be taken in F1 which will be deducted from F2 study leave entitlement).

In F1, if the foundation doctor is on track for a successful ARCP Outcome in June, up to 5 Taster days can be taken (recommended in the third F1 rotation) by ‘borrowing’ from the F2 allocation. In F2, the 10 Taster days should not be taken in only one rotation. Taster days are expected to be taken at the employing organisation and therefore no commuting costs should be required. Taster days at other employers may be permitted if the specialty is not available within the doctor’s own organisation; however, these should ideally take place within the local Deanery. Applicants should note that there is no reimbursement for travel or accommodation expenses related to Taster days, and this consideration should be factored into their application process. FSD approval is required for Tasters outside your local Deanery.

All Taster requests need to be discussed locally and approved by your trust Foundation Training Programme Director (FTPD) before arrangements are confirmed. Requests to undertake Tasters overseas are not supported.

The following information provides UKFPO guidance on the provision of tasters for foundation doctors training – Specialty tasters for foundation doctors – UK Foundation Programme

Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP)/ Foundation Priority Programmes (FPP)/ enhance Explore Programmes/ F2 Public Health Fellowships

For Foundation Schools hosting SFP, FPP and/or enhance Explore Programmes and F2 Public Health Fellowships; study leave days will be available to attend any mandatory training days in F1 and F2 within the study leave allocation, at the discretion of the Foundation School.

Supporting Course Study Leave Guidance

• It may be appropriate to undertake a single approved external course that aids decision making and contributes towards career development in the F2 year. For guidance, this course should be one that is included on the approved study leave list relevant to the specialty aligned to the doctor’s career intentions. All the specialty course lists can be found on the study leave website here.  Please note only courses relevant for core training, or up to and including ST2 grade for run-through specialties, will be considered (examples could include an ATLS/APLS course, or a Basic Surgical Skills course).
• Funding for this single course can be claimed using the code:S-FND0013 from the Foundation course list. This requires local approval from the doctor’s rota coordinator and FTPD only.
• There are recommended financial travel and subsistence guidelines for overnight allowance and travel. More information can be found on the Study Leave A-Z here.
• Study leave should be allowed for periods of sitting an examination, but not for preparation for an exam. The delivery of Statutory and Mandatory training remains the responsibility of the Trust. This also applies to courses that are essential for the FD to perform their role in particular specialties, e.g. radiology courses for FDs in ED. No exam preparation courses can be funded from the study leave budget.
• The administration and approval of study leave remain the responsibility of the Trust. Foundation Training Programme Directors (FTPD) will be responsible for the approval of all Essential and Supporting courses in line with Trust policies. Only aspirational study leave requests should be directed to the Foundation School Directors (FSD) or the Deputy Foundation School Directors (DFSDs), and only via the FTPD.

Aspirational Study Leave (presenting at a conference)

• One aspirational event (which includes international events if no equivalent, suitable UK events are available) will be considered during the F2 year. FDs should not expect that aspirational events will receive full reimbursement and must not commit to aspirational events until confirmation has been received from the Deanery Study Leave team.
• Aspirational study leave will cover presentations at conferences when the FD is the first author. This event should be aligned to the doctor’s personal development plan and career aspirations.
• One course related to a doctor’s career intentions can be approved in the F2 year using the supporting FND0013 code by the ES (see above). Additional courses related to career intentions cannot be approved via the aspirational process.
• For all aspirational events there is a maximum cap of £1000 funding. For international events, the lower amount of either the course fee or the travel and accommodation expenses can be reimbursed. If the course fee has been waived by the organisers, then doctors can claim their travel and accommodation expenses, up to an absolute maximum of £1000.
• Aspirational applications must outline the perceived benefits to the FD at this point in their training and be prospectively discussed with the FTPD at local level. If the FTPD considers the request appropriate, the FD should follow the relevant locality application process below – but if they have already discussed an activity with their FTPD, they do not also need to discuss with their ES:
• KSS Foundation Doctors
• Thames Valley Foundation Doctors
• Wessex Foundation Doctors

Contact details for Trust study leave teams and NHSE teams are here.

All applications for aspirational study leave must be prospective. Retrospective applications will be rejected.

Exclusions to Funding

• Statutory and mandatory training required by employers
• Other employer-related leave
• Courses for specialty examinations during Foundation Programme
• Interview leave of any type
• Professional examination fees at any point of training – e.g. MRCP exams
• Fees for courses that are booked and not attended (unless in exceptional circumstances)
• Fees for courses not approved
• Royal college membership fees/ E-portfolio fees
• Taxi fares (only in exceptional circumstances – i.e. the health and safety of a foundation doctor is compromised or there is no public transport available to complete a journey)