Study Leave A-Z

If you have questions or issues regarding access to, or use of, Accent Leave Manager (ALM), please refer to the webpage here.

Resident Doctors can claim the amounts detailed below for overnight accommodation costs. Overnight accommodation expenses will only be granted if you are travelling from a base destination more than 100 miles from the venue, or if the course runs longer than one day and the round trip exceeds 100 miles.

Accommodation costs to be covered by NHSE Wessex will be limited to the duration of the event plus one night, either before or after the event dates. Doctors must demonstrate value for money and book the lowest priced accommodation available (we recommend obtaining three quotes).  

Overnight costs will be reimbursed as follows:   

Allowance    

For overnight accommodation within London, the overnight rate should not exceed £150 per night (for Commercial, e.g. B&B/Hotel).

For overnight accommodation outside of London, the overnight rate should not exceed £120 per night (for Commercial, e.g. B&B/Hotel).     

When staying with friends or relatives during a study leave activity, a flat rate sum (currently £25 per night) can be claimed, which includes an allowance for meals; no receipts are required.

The Resuscitation Council UK’s e-ALS course blends a day of e-learning with a day of face-to-face practical learning. It offers the same course content as ALS at better value for money, and Doctors are encouraged to undertake eALS rather than ALS wherever possible. 

If you would like to appeal your Study Leave application decision, please complete this form, setting out your reasons for your appeal and including any relevant evidence: South East Study Leave Appeals form.

(1) The study leave application process should be completed at least 6 weeks before the study leave event. Retrospective applications will not be processed or paid.

(2) You should discuss any study leave courses/activities with your Educational Supervisor in advance of your application.

(3) All applications for study leave must be made in advance, and follow the local process for applying for educational approval and time off for study leave activities in your employing Trust.

(4) You will need to provide details of the activity and a breakdown of the total costs associated with the activity (i.e. including fees, travel and accommodation).

(5) Approval for the time off for study leave must be approved by your Rota Coordinator (or equivalent).

(6) You will need to follow the applicable step by step process here.w the a0pplicable st

(b) For anything else, as a general rule, you will need to obtain written (email) approval from the TPD / FPD / GP Patch AD Office for any activity and your breakdown of all known and estimated costs before obtaining final approval from the NHSE Wessex Study Leave Team. Once you have the necessary approvals from your employer and TPD / FPD / GP Patch AD Office (where necessary) please forward the details of the activity, a breakdown of the costs and evidence of written confirmation of these approvals by email to england.studyleave.wx@nhs.net for final review and approval.

(7) It is advised that you wait until you have obtained all requisite approvals before committing to expenditure on a study leave activity.  If you pay for an activity before the approval process is complete, and the request is declined, you will not be reimbursed for any costs incurred.

(9) You should reclaim any study leave expenses from your employing Trust in accordance with their local process.

(10) Claims must be submitted no later than 3 months after the event, in line with NHS terms and conditions for staff expenses. Any claims received after this deadline will not be paid.

Please refer to the guidance and Approved lists here.

If your event is cancelled or you choose not to attend, you should endeavour to obtain a refund for any expenses incurred.

If the event was cancelled and you are unable to obtain a refund, please submit your claim and receipts to your Trust via the usual study leave claim process. 

Foundation Year 1 doctors have an allowance of 15 days per year. This will normally take the form of regular scheduled teaching/training sessions and no external leave will be granted.  

All other Resident Doctors have an allocation of 30 days per year and this includes periods of regular scheduled teaching/training sessions (normally 15-20 days depending on the speciality) and may include external activities and periods of sitting an examination (where it is a requirement of the curriculum).

The Study Leave days entitlement will be pro-rata for Less Than Full Time doctors. 

Study leave cannot be used to buy revision books, online resources, or pay for journal subscriptions, membership fees, accreditation fees, submissions of research, attending interviews or exam fees.  Travel and subsistence can usually be claimed from the study leave budget for sitting exams required within an individual’s curriculum.

Exam preparation courses may be provided locally as part of the general training programme. Such courses should be accessed ahead of private courses as they offer broad support and value for money. The cost of one preparation/revision course per exam can be funded from the study leave budget for core and speciality doctors, or one set of question banks from a recognised provider in lieu of an exam preparation course.  Any additional exam preparation courses for the same exam will not be covered and you will need to fund these yourself. All doctors are expected to attend locally provided courses. External or commercially run courses will only be funded if no local course is offered – it is expected that the least expensive courses will be selected.       

Funding of courses for additional attempts at the exam will be considered in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Associate Dean for Study Leave. In the event of repeated exam failure your Educational Supervisor may wish to consider a referral to the Professional Support and Wellbeing Service (PSW) for exam support.

If the course exceeds £1,000 you will require funding approval from NHSE Wessex (Deanery), so once you have the necessary approvals from your employer and TPD / FPD / GP Patch AD Office (where necessary) please forward the details of the activity, a breakdown of the costs and evidence of written confirmation of these approvals by email to england.studyleave.wx@nhs.net for final review and approval.

Please read the detailed, bespoke Study Leave Guidance for Foundation Doctors.

Please refer to the specific webpage and guidance on Aspirational and International activities here.

Study leave cannot be used to buy revision books, online resources, or pay for journal subscriptions, membership fees, accreditation fees, submissions of research, attending interviews or exam fees.  It can only be used for costs associated directly with attending a course (i.e. course fees, travel, subsistence and accommodation).  

NHSE is unable to fund interview preparation courses.

If TPD approval is provided, we can currently offer a one-off contribution of £300 towards the total costs of an external leadership course/programme/event (including travel, accommodation and subsistence), under the aspirational category, as long as the content is not already available in a course we provide in the Wessex PDU courses portfolio.  Courses that are run virtually tend to offer the best value for money. 

The full 30 days’ Study Leave entitlement will allocated pro-rata for Less Than Full Time doctors.

Study leave cannot be used to pay for revision books, online resources, journal subscriptions, membership fees, accreditation fees, research submissions, attending interviews or exam fees.  It can only be used for costs associated directly with attending a course (i.e. course fees, travel, subsistence and accommodation).  Study leave funding should not be used for ‘joining’/membership costs for a conference or course, even if this is advertised to provide a reduced attendance fee.

Doctors that are on an OOP for Research, Career Break or Experience are not eligible to apply for study leave 

Doctors on an OOPT will only be approved and funded where there is clear evidence linking the application to the specific curriculum requirement for the doctor’s individual specialty.

Doctors on Parental Leave are eligible to apply for Study Leave. Please see additional information under Parental/Maternity Leave below.

Doctors can apply for study leave funding while on Parental Leave.  However, any activities would need to be applied for in advance and agreed with the Educational Supervisor, and any use of KiT days would also need to be agreed with the Trust in advance.   Doctors are unable to apply retrospectively for study leave funding or KiT days.   The Doctor would need to refer to the rest of our generic study leave guidance for more information, including approvals required, but note that TPD approval may be accepted in lieu of Educational Supervisor approval where appropriate.

Study leave accrues during parental leave (it accrues pro rata based if on a LTFT contract), and can be taken it at a later date, minus any study leave days used for any KIT days.

Doctors in their Period of Grace are not eligible for study leave funding. Once training has been completed any further professional development, skill, or knowledge acquisition during this period of time should be considered as continuous professional development (CPD).

Postgraduate degree courses are rarely funded from the Study Leave budget – exceptions include specific training programmes whose curricula currently require such qualifications for progression. Some Wessex fellowships also include funding support for a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education.

Private study leave for the purpose of home-based revision will normally be taken within six weeks from the date of the exam and normally runs from Monday to Friday. Resident Doctors may take up to five days (of the 30-day allowance). Only one period of private study leave per exam is allowed.

Foundation doctors should refer to the bespoke South East Foundation School Study Leave Guidance.

In General Practice, Resident Doctors have scheduled private study time in their working week which should be used for revision if needed. Whilst it can be acceptable to take 1-2 days of study leave prior to an exam, taking extended periods of leave to revise is not appropriate and is likely to be declined. 

Study leave can be used to fund the purchase of one set of question banks from a recognised provider in lieu of an exam preparation course.

You need to claim any costs incurred from your employing Trust, following their local process, after you have attended the study leave activity. To claim any costs you need to have applied for the study leave via Accent Leave Manager and have prior approval for the costs that you are claiming.  

Please read the Wessex study leave https://wessex.hee.nhs.uk/trainee-information/trainee-journey/study-leave/ for claiming costs. 

All study leave (time off and funding) must be requested in advance of the event (ideally at least 6 weeks). Retrospective applications will not be approved or funded except in exceptional circumstances.

Study leave cannot be used to buy revision books, online resources (see “Question Banks” for exceptions), journal subscriptions, membership fees, accreditation fees, registration fees, attend interviews or cover exam fees.  It can only be used for costs associated directly with attending a course (i.e. course fees, travel, subsistence and accommodation).  

If you wish to apply for study leave and funding to attend a course at the start of your next rotation which will be based at a different NHS trust you should discuss any courses/educational activities you would like to attend with your current ES/TPD for approval. You can apply for the Study Leave via Accent Leave Manager against the new post.  

Once you have been on the course, submit your expense claim to the new NHS Trust where you will be working by then.

If you are signed off as sick then you should not be doing anything related to work, including attending training events, courses and conferences. If you do have any concerns about how your absence will impact your training then please liaise with your ES/TPD/FPD/GP Patch AD to discuss your specific options.

Please read the bespoke South East Foundation School Study Leave Guidance.

Study leave cannot be used to buy revision books, online resources, journal subscriptions, membership fees, accreditation fees, registration fees, research submissions, attend interviews or cover exam fees.  It can only be used for costs associated directly with attending a course (i.e. course fees, travel, subsistence and accommodation).  

Reasonable travel costs can be claimed for study leave activity for which full approvals were obtained and in advance.  

Travel:   
You must use the most cost effective transport means possible. NHSE reserves the right to only reimburse the cost of the cheapest fare. 
  
By Car: Candidates will be paid at the Reserve Rate (28p per mile from 1 January 2026; or a subsequently revised mileage reserve rate) as listed in Table 7 and described in Section 17 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook. The shortest practicable route should be taken and car parking fees will be reimbursed on production of receipts.  Mileage should be calculated from the doctor’s principal place of work to the event and back. Only mileage in excess of a doctor’s usual daily commute is eligible for reimbursement.

By Rail: Supersavers and standard class rail fares only. The most cost effective fare must be sought. If possible, doctors should purchase tickets in advance to ensure this. Receipts for rail travel must include the date of travel and the start and finish locations. Credit card receipts are not sufficient.  

By Taxi: Expenses will be reimbursed for short journeys only such as from the nearest train station to the venue where public transport is not practical, e.g. time of day. A receipt will be required.  Public transport should be taken instead of taxis wherever appropriate and possible.

By Air: Payment for travel by air must not exceed the total cost of travelling by public transport.  Airport parking charges cannot be reimbursed from the Study Leave budget.
Reimbursement should be claimed as per your employing Trust’s local process. Receipts must be provided for travel expenses where applicable, otherwise your claim will not be processed. Receipts and certificate of attendance for the study leave activity should be attached individually to the expenses claim software used by your employing organisation.   Doctors are advised to keep a copy of the form and receipts they submit in case of problem or a query with payment

For Accommodation Expenses – see the Accommodation Expenses section above in the A-Z.
For Subsistence Expenses – see the Subsistence Expenses section above in the A-Z.
For International travel – see the International Activities section above in the A-Z.