Wednesday 18th May 2022

New Updates

Supporting Trainees Entering Practice (STEP)

This is just a gentle reminder that the deadline for completing the Med School – F1 STEP form is 10th June 2022. If you haven’t already please complete the form at the following link: Med-F1 STEP form link

If you are a Non-UK graduate you will instead need to complete a Word version of the STEP form which can be found at the following link: Word Version – STEP form 2022 link

Additional information regarding the Med – F1 STEP process can be found on the UKFPO website

F1 – F2 TOI

The F1 – F2 STEP form is now closed. The information provided will be collated and forwarded to trainees F2 Trusts and shared with the Foundation School Director. Any trainees who have not yet completed the F1 – F2 STEP form must now contact their Trust directly

2022 Shadowing Confirmation

We will be reverting back to the pre pandemic process with regards to shadowing. All UK medical graduates will receive the compulsory 4 days shadowing. For trusts that have International Medical Graduates, up to £1300 per IMG trainee will be available to trusts to fund extended shadowing (to a maximum of 10 days).

LTFT Category 3 Pilot expansion from Summer 2022  

Following the completion of the ‘lead in’ year, we will now transition into the full Category 3 model whereby trainees can undertake an unspecified period of time as LTFT Category

Further information on LTFT Category 3 can be found here 

  • Approval of applications must be subject to service considerations via TPD approval.  
  • Trainees must be in post at the time of application. 

From August 2022, postgraduate doctors can choose to apply to train less than full time at 50/60/70 or 80% for 12-months.  Individuals would then revert back to 100% whole time equivalent (i.e. full time) or could apply again if they wished to continue to train less than full time. Please be aware that any application to train less than full time will result in a change to your expected completion date of your foundation training programme and a reduction in pay pro rata.

LTFT Category 3 applications will be managed via application windows.  Details of the application windows are below: 

 LTFT Application Window  

For rotations commencing:  

25th July -15th August 22 

Dec-22 

31st October- 21st November 22 

Apr-23 

*Please note that applications can only be accepted for the start of each of your specialty rotations so if you miss a window, please apply in line with your next specialty rotation date as per above.

 To submit an LTFT Category 3 application, complete the application form available here. 

If you require information about the visa implications of LTFT training, please check our ‘LTFT for trainees with a Tier 2 visa/Skilled Worker Sponsorship’ page.  

For any other questions, please contact your specialty team via the LPMDE support portal.  

Royal College of Pathologists Foundation Fellowships

Congratulations to those of you who have been appointed to a Foundation post which includes a pathology discipline. I am delighted to draw your attention to the Royal College of Pathologists Foundation Fellowship scheme, for which you are therefore eligible to apply. This is the third year of running our Foundation Fellowships, which has proved a very successful and popular scheme.

You can find details of the scheme here: RCPath Foundation Fellowships.

I do hope as many as possible of you will apply for a Fellowship and I look forward to welcoming the successful candidates to the RCPath community.

Kind regards,

Angharad Davies

Professor Angharad Davies MA MB BChir, MRCP, FRCPath, PhD, PFHEA

Vice-President (Learning), Royal College of Pathologists

2022 UKFPO Fellowship recruitment

The UKFPO are pleased to announce the recruitment for the 2022-2023 Fellows.

Please note that applications open on Monday 16th May 2022, 09:00 and close on Sunday 22nd May 2022, 23:59. The link to the application form will be made available on the UKFPO website, and advertised on our Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Applications will be capped at 100, meaning that if we receive 100 applications whilst the application window is open, no new applications will be accepted.

***REMINDER*** PSG Guidance

For supervisors, a reminder for you of one of the key differences this year with the 2021 curriculum, the requirement for a ‘satisfactory’ PSG report at least once during the year (just like there is a requirement for a satisfactory TAB).  More information on PSG is given on the curriculum page (topic 5).  If your FD does not have a satisfactory PSG report in their portfolio then the current clinical supervisor will need to organise this on the e-portfolio.  There is no minimum number of respondents and in small departments/practices the PSG report may only involve one person other than the CS but, ideally there should be feedback from three individuals.  When deciding whether the report is satisfactory, the supervisor will need to consider the feedback in the context of the Foundation doctor’s progress.  It is likely that any ‘major concerns’ expressed by the PSG would make the report unsatisfactory; however, minor concerns that have been addressed elsewhere in the portfolio might still allow a PSG report to be considered ‘satisfactory’.  The Horus e-portfolio allows the supervisor to comment in the CSR.

Please find below a helpful PDF guidance document “The importance of the Placement Supervision Group (PSG) feedback tool”

PSG Guidance

Please share this with your trainees, FPDs and local FP faculty.

Careers Support for Foundation Doctors - Survey

Dear Foundation Trainees,

We are currently in the process of planning our programme of careers support for doctors in their foundation years of training.  In order to ensure that we are delivering the most relevant information to you at a time most suitable for you we would like to invite you to complete this short survey.  The results of this will inform our plans for the programme that would expect to begin to deliver from June 2022.

https://healtheducationyh.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/career-planning-for-foundation-trainees

Many thanks for your time in completing this survey which should take no more than a couple of minutes to complete

Kind regards

The Careers Team HEE London , Kent, Surrey and Sussex’

Useful Information and Reminders

Foundation doctors in GP and psychiatry placements contributing to acute services

Please see below link reminder regarding Foundation doctors in community placements contributing to acute services Foundation doctors in GP and psychiatry placements contributing to acute services

Time out of training (Toot)

We would like to remind all trainees and trainers that the maximum permitted absence from training, other than annual leave is 20 days within each 12 month period of the foundation programme. Where a doctors absence goes above 20 days this will trigger a review of whether they need to have an extra period of training.

What are the 2021-22 TAB (Team Assessment of Behaviour) window dates for London and KSS Foundation Schools?

The recommended dates for TAB are detailed below but these dates are not mandatory. More information on the TAB process can be found on the Horus Website.

Placement 3

Opens: Monday 18th April 2022

Closes: Friday 20th May 2022

Foundation Doctor Role and Responsibilities

Please use the following link to the updated ‘Foundation Doctor Role and Responsibilities within the Local Education Provider and Minimum Requirements for Clinical Supervision of Foundation Doctors’, document.

Foundation Doctor Role and Responsibilities

Foundation guidance produced by the UKFPO for Foundation Trainees

Please find below link to guidance for Foundation Trainees recently produced by the UKFPO.

Click here for guidance

Updated ARCP Requirement Guidance

Updated ARCP guidance has been published for trainees on 2016 Foundation Programme curriculum for ARCPs taking place between 1 October 2021 and 31 July 2022

ARCP Requirements Guidance – 2021-22 trainees on 2016 curriculum     

*Please note: This guidance does not apply to any trainee who started either their F1 or F2 year on/after 4 August 2021, as they will be on the 2021 Foundation Programme curriculum.*

Contacting the London and KSS Foundation Schools

There has recently been an increase in emails/messages being sent to personal inboxes. Please be reminded that contact with the Foundation Team in HET should be through the PGMDE Support Portal rather than to individuals email addresses or shared mailboxes. This will ensure that your query can be directed to the correct person within the team and dealt with as quickly as possible. Please click here to be directed to the PGMDE Support Portal.

Please do not use F1.LASE@Hee.nhs.uk, F2.lase@hee.nhs.uk, FPEnquiries.lase@hee.nhs.uk or personal inboxes.

UKFPO Bulletin

To read the latest UKFPO Bulletin access the link below:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/ukfpo-bulletin-12-may-2022/

Courses, Events, Research and Competitions

RCPath pathology-themed competitions

HUGH PLATT FOUNDATION ESSAY PRIZE – CLOSES 23 MAY 2022 

The Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize invites UK-based FY1 and FY2 doctors to explore how pathology has changed in the last 60 years in an essay of up to 1000 words. The competition is posthumously named after Dr Hugh Platt, an RCPath Fellow who contributed a huge amount to the work of the College, and to the support of postgraduate medical training in pathology disciplines. The Foundation essay prize will close to entrants on Monday 23 May 2022.  The winner will receive £250. For more information and to apply, please visit: www.rcpath.org/essay-competitions

THE ART OF PATHOLOGY COMPETITION KINDLY SPONSORED BY SONIC HEALTHCARE UK – CLOSES 30 MAY 2022 

The College’s Art of Pathology competition is open to people of all ages from the UK and abroad until 30 May 2022 and invites participants to explore pathology in a unique and creative way. This year’s theme is ‘Pathology: past, present and future’. Up to £1000 will be awarded to one winner from each of the three age categories and the best entries are also published on our website and featured in the College magazine, The Bulletin. Find out more at www.rcpath.org/artofpathology.    

Please feel free to contact publicengagement@rcpath.org if you have any queries. 

National AFP Conference: 11th June 2022

Registrations and submissions are now open for this years’ National AFP Conference to be held on Saturday 11th June 2022, hosted by the University of Bristol. Please be advised to book early as due to current Covid guidelines our capacity is limited to 200.  

Full details, programme and registration/abstract submission links can be found on the UKFPO webpage and News Bulletin site (please see links below):

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/2022-national-academic-foundation-programme-conference/

We look forward to welcoming you to Bristol and are excited about finally being able to hold a face2face conference.  We have excellent speakers and there will be multiple opportunities for networking with your peers and experienced academics.   The modest fee of £20 (cheap as chips) includes lunch and a wine reception.  

This year we're including a new presentation "Tall Tales and Epic Fails - after AFP what came next?" and would like to invite former AFPs to take part. Would you please flag this up to all your past AFPs.

We are looking for alumni of the academic foundation programme who can tell us about their “interesting” academic career following graduation and completion of foundation training.  We have allocated slots for a set of short talks (10 mins each) on “what came next”.  This is an opportunity for them to feedback to the next generation and offer them the benefit of their insights and experiences.  We will select the best stories for presentation on the basis of a short pitch and will cover the travel and registration costs for the conference for those selected.  The trainees/medical students will vote on the day for the best talk with an associated prize award.  

Submission deadline March 25th 2022 - for face2face conference June 11th in Bristol.

Here is the link for the "Tall Tales" pitch submissions: 

https://primarycare.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/tall-tales-and-epic-fails-after-afp-what-came-next-na

Belfast Eye Conference 2022: Saturday 2nd July and Sunday 3rd July 2022

We are thrilled to announce the second annual virtual Belfast Eye Conference! Hosted by Queen’s University Belfast.

At Belfast Eye Conference, you will meet like-minded healthcare students, early-stage doctors and early career vision scientists from around the world who are equally fascinated by clinical ophthalmology and vision related research.

The conference will provide the stage for speakers who will give broad and varied perspectives on eye related disease. Consultant ophthalmologists will give clinical talks relating to their sub-specialty, and members of the multi-disciplinary team will discuss how they support eye health.

Vision science is a strong and active research field, particularly in Northern Ireland. We are excited to showcase cutting edge vision related research from scientists at Queen’s University Belfast.

Belfast Eye Conference will also provide a platform for delegates - you! - to showcase your vision related research, in oral and poster formats. You may have done a vision related case study or audit, summer studentship, intercalated project, special study module work or PhD. Whatever the level, submit an abstract today!

Most importantly, Belfast Eye Conference is free of charge to attend. The event will be held virtually on Saturday 2nd July and Sunday 3rd July 2022.

To register, see the programme, download an abstract submission form and see the deadline, please visit: www.qub.ac.uk/belfasteyeconference

Early Career Clinical Pharmacology Competition 2022

We have recently launched the 2022 Early Career Clinical Pharmacology Competition, hosted by the British Pharmacological Society.  The competition is open to medical and pharmacy students, doctors in training (up to and including IMT) and pharmacists (bands 5-7). 

The aim of the competition is to encourage students and healthcare professionals to improve their knowledge and skills of pharmacology and safe and effective prescribing and to celebrate their valuable contributions to the field of clinical pharmacology.

To be eligible for the competition, applicants must have a poster accepted for presentation at our annual conference Pharmacology 2022.  Applicants must attend the conference to present their poster to the competition judges, who will decide the top posters in the undergraduate and postgraduate categories.

We welcome abstracts relating to:

  • Research projects linked to clinical pharmacology
  • Audit or quality improvement project on the use of medicines
  • Education abstracts on safe prescribing or use of medicines
  • Interesting case reports related to clinical pharmacology. Examples could include (but not limited to), adverse effects of medication, drug-drug interactions, polypharmacy, role of therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacogenomics

Presenters of the best undergraduate and postgraduate posters will receive a £250 prize in a ceremony at Pharmacology 2022. They will also be invited to give a 5-minute presentation about their project at a subsequent national training event for clinical pharmacologists.

Pharmacology 2022 is held from 13 – 14 September 2022 in Liverpool. For further details, visit the Pharmacology 2022 event website.

 For more details about what makes a successful abstract and to hear from past winners, read this article in The Prescriber

We want this opportunity to be accessible to all. Find out about bursaries for Pharmacology 2022.

Access the point of care tool BMJ Best Practice for free

BMJ Best Practice takes you quickly and accurately to the latest evidence-based information, whenever and wherever you need it.

Our step-by-step guidance on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and prevention is updated daily using robust evidence-based methodologies. 

This tool is freely available to all healthcare professionals who work for the NHS in England. You can register for free here https://www.bmj.com/company/hee/

If your institution would like to receive further information on BMJ Best Practice, please contact Dr. Kieran Walsh, Clinical Director at BMJ. Dr. Walsh can deliver talks for Foundation Programme doctors at their training sessions or provide information on areas such as the local HEE/BMJ clinical champion scheme. Contact Dr. Kieran Walsh at kmwalsh@bmj.com.  

New video resource for foundation trainees

A new video for all foundation trainees, foundation schools and trusts, helping them to understand more about the Foundation Programme Charter, has been shared.

Please click here to launch the Foundation Programme Charter video.

Further videos including Foundation Programme Review and Self Development time can also be found here

Foundation Careers

**NEW!​​** FY1 Speciality options webinars 

(Mon 20th June 2022 (14.00-15.00pm)

(Mon 27th June 2022 (18.00-19.00pm)

Wondering how to go about making an informed decision about your options after completing Foundation training? 

Career Planning webinars for all London & KSS foundation doctors are currently booking for June. These 1 hour webinars, delivered by the HEE Careers London team, will include key information advice and guidance on what to consider around speciality choice. To find out further information and register please click here:

NEW 2022 - FY1 Speciality Options webinar | London (hee.nhs.uk)

**NEW!​​** F3 options webinars

(Tue 21st June 2022 (14.00-15.00pm)

(Tue 28th June 2022 (18.00-19.00pm)

What may be the best way to plan and take advantage of opportunities within your F3 year or beyond?

F3 Options webinars for all London & KSS foundation doctors are currently booking for June. These 1 hour webinars, delivered by the HEE Careers London team, will include key information advice and guidance on what to consider to make the most of your F3 year including travel/volunteering abroad, fellowships, further study/qualifications and non-training options. To find out further information and register please click here:

NEW 2022 - F3 Options webinar | London (hee.nhs.uk)

Our revised Foundation careers webpages which contain recorded versions of the FY1 webinars on self-awareness and career exploration which we delivered to trainees over the summer, can be found below:

Self Awareness | London (hee.nhs.uk)

Career Exploration | London (hee.nhs.uk)

Useful links

Courses (all)

FAQS

Horus - Changes and updates