31st March 2021

New Updates

F1-F2 TOI/STEP

The F1-F2 TOI/STEP has now been issued to all F1S due to move to F2 in August. If you haven't received a link and you are an F1 due to move to F2 in August please contact the Foundation Team through the portal by clicking here.

Inter-Foundation School Transfers (IFST)

The IFST process for the training year August 2021-August 2022 will open on 15 March 2021. See below guidance and application form:

IFST Applicant Guidance 2021

IFST Electronic Application Form 2021 

Please ensure that all completed application forms are submitted to the London and KSS Foundation Team through the trainee portal. To submit an application please click here and scroll down to the submission link at the bottom of the FAQ.

Trainees please ensure that you are checking your junk mail for communications regarding your IFST application if you have submitted one.

Useful Information and Reminders

 

LTFT Trainee Representatives

Giving LTFT trainees an opportunity to apply to be a trainee representative, for a fair chance for everyone to have an opportunity to apply.

The link to the survey is:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScM4t0gFnGNMWIF0Ru1jvSRO68f5-VWTNphPXU9vVbyt73Kaw/viewform

Supporting Trainers, Supporting Doctors, Supporting Patients: progress since the postgraduate medical foundation programme review including Foundation Dr Quality Charter

In 2018–2019 the HEE Foundation Programme Review heard evidence from a wide range of stakeholders, including foundation doctors, about the difficulties faced by those entering foundation training from medical school.  Several recommendations were made and this pack outlines progress and contains practical information to assist with implementation.

Please refer to section 2 of the paper (pages 10-17) for the Foundation Dr ‘Quality Charter’ and Good Practice Guidance.

Progress Since the Postgraduate Medical Foundation Programme Review

UKFPO Bulletin

To read the latest UKFPO Bulletin access the link below:

We have published our latest bulletin: UKFPO Bulletin / 24th March 2021

Please share with your networks, including FTPDs and Foundation Doctors.

ARCP requirements for June 2021

Requirements have been adapted for all foundation doctors to reflect the ongoing effects of the pandemic. For more information please visit the UKFPO website by accessing the following link https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/curriculum/arcp/.

How to Support Successful Training for BME Doctors - NACT UK Council cascade

How to support successful training for BAME Doctors - Final

Foundation Feed

Foundation Feed

An FDAB rep has set up a "Telegram" (a mobile app) feed, which streamlines posts from the UKFPO, HEE and other stakeholders' social media accounts to ensure Foundation doctors are kept up to date, please select the title 'Foundation Feed' for the link.

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.

 

Self-Development Time

Recommendation #14 of the foundation review was to ensure all foundation doctors have time formally included in their work schedules for non-clinical professional activities and that this would be called ‘self-development time’.

From August 2020, all English trusts with foundation doctors were required to include self-development time in the work schedules of foundation year two (FY2) and then if possible for foundation year one (FY1) doctors. FY2 doctors had a minimum of two hours per week self-development time. FY1 doctors also had a minimum of 1 hour although not mandatory. 

After evaluating the first year of this scheme listening to feedback from trainees themselves and the system it has been determined that from August 2021 all FY1 and FY2 doctors will have a minimum of 2 hours on average per week of SDT time. The implementation of this has been planned with the wellbeing of doctors in mind, but also with the demands that are being placed upon service provision in mind.

Further information and case studies is available on https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/doctors-training/foundation-review

 

Responsible Officer Details

F2’s are Responsible to ensure they are connected to the correct Responsible Officer, this is usually your Post Graduate Dean, for more information or guidance please see: https://lonkssfoundation.hee.nhs.uk/gmc or contact is via PSP.

The RCR academic Radiology CRASH! podcast

As the Royal College of Radiologists 2020 Roentgen Professor, I had been tasked with inspiring academic radiology and research in radiology trainees. However COVID-19 has dramatically changed how I have been able to do this. In response to this challenge, I have developed a new interview series with the RCR called the CRASH! podcast, in which Clinical Radiology Academics Speak Honestly!

In this podcast, we progress up the career ladder talking to radiologists at all levels involved in research about their background, experiences, and plans ahead. We also take a lighter view on life with our guests taking the CRASH! Test.

Radiology faces distinct challenges in developing our academics of the future, yet the opportunities are exciting and constantly evolving alongside remarkable new technologies. We need to engage trainees in ways that we have not traditionally considered...

As such, I would be extremely grateful if you would be able to facilitate sharing news of the CRASH! podcast release in your academic networks so that trainees across the board can find out more about what a career in Academic Radiology might involve.

Episode 1 is currently available from the RCR website and PodBean, soon coming on other platforms…

https://www.rcr.ac.uk/crash-podcast-episode-1-starting-out

 

Horus Change Requests - Trust Reminder

Please can Trusts ensure that all Horus Change requests need come via the Foundation portal to the attention of Stuart Morris the Foundation School Manager.

Horus feedback

Any suggestions for enhancements, additions, nice-to-haves, ideas for improvement, cosmetic changes, etc should be reported to your local foundation school team/national foundation e-portfolio user group ("eTAG") representative.
The eTAG meets twice a year (January/February and October) to discuss such feedback and make recommendations for future e-portfolio developments. The contact for London and KSS is Stuart Morris but please submit your suggestion via PSP:

https://lasepgmdesupport.hee.nhs.uk/support/tickets/new?form_d7=true

VITA Network  - Modern slavery and Human trafficking

Modern slavery and human trafficking is a health issue.

There is an increasing amount of research documenting the significant impact of MSHT on the physical and mental health of victims and survivors, but we also know this is not limited to an individual.

MSHT is also a public health issue, stemming from vulnerability, inequality and poverty, whilst selfperpetuating and contributing to detrimental social determinants of health. We believe it is necessary to address MSHT from a public health and health perspective in order to tackle this crime in a personcentred and effective way.

VITA Network aims to do this by connecting, equipping and mobilising individuals and organisations invested in MSHT prevention, intervention and survivor-care from a holistic health perspective.

Please see this letter for more information. 

School Trainee Reps 2020-2021

Please click on the link below to find the 2020-2021 school trainee reps’ information for each Foundation School:

South Thames Foundation School

North West London Foundation School

North Central and East London Foundation School

Maintaining Postgraduate medical education and training

The four nations have agreed a set of principles for educational organisations during pandemic surges. Please see the link below to read the full report.

Maintaining postgraduate medical education and training

TAB dates

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 1

 *Placement 1 Window now passed*

Opens:

Monday 5th October 2020

Closes:

Tuesday 8th December 2020

Placement 2

  *Placement 2 Window now passed*

Opens:

Monday 15th February 2021

Closes:

Tuesday 30th March 2021

Placement 3

  

Opens:

Monday 19th April 2021

Closes:

Friday 14th May 2021

 

BMJ Best practice

BMJ Best Practice is an authoritative clinical decision support tool provided free at the point of use to all NHS staff and learners, funded by Health Education England. Accessible 24/7 via app, website and EHR integration, it informs evidence-based clinical decision making at the point of care and supports continuous professional development.

To learn more and download the app, go to https://www.bmj.com/company/hee/

PSG Now Mandatory for all Foundation Trainees

Extract from Horus:

“The importance of the Placement Supervision Group (PSG)

The UK FP Curriculum Delivery Group have developed a helpful one-page information sheet (available on the UKFPO’s Sharing Best Practice page) on the importance of using the PSG to gain robust feedback about all foundation doctors (and specifically not just those who may require additional support).

The PSG is part of the FP Curriculum 2016 and will be a part of the new curriculum as well.

Please make your Foundation Programme Directors (FPDs) and medical education managers aware of this guidance and encourage the use of the PSG feedback tools in the e-portfolios.

 

F2 Standalone Process 2021

Please select the following link to read the 2021 Standalone Application Process.

It is important to note the timeline and to be aware that this will fall outside Code of Practice.

Covid information for Trainees and Trusts

HEE have put together a number of resources to guide trainees during the COVID-19 crisis which can be found here: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/covid-19/information-doctors-training-october-2020-onwards

Public Health Youtube channel

HEE have published a video on Public Health on their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrVQaAxyJE3fcRxqMPdB1BTNLA5MY2ZUf

Royal College of Physicians Foundation Doctor membership

If you are interested in pursuing a career in the medical specialties, the RCP offers membership for just £4 a month. Benefits include access to the RCP’s library service including over 1,000 e-journals; free and discounted e-learning modules; free access to CPD content via our streaming service RCP Player and much more.

For more information go to www.rcplondon.ac.uk/join

Trainees self-isolating due to COVID-19 and whether it contributes towards sickness allowance and training time UKFPO

We have received a number of enquiries from FSDs regarding interpretation of the ‘20 day rule’ in the curriculum and how this should be interpreted in the context of COVID-related absence, either in regard to short term periods of isolation or extended absence for those in the highly vulnerable group. For further information please access the following document: Curriculum Requirements and Covid-Related Absences

Courses, Events, Research and Competitions

'Attitudes Towards Venepuncture in Patients With Dark Skin' 

A survey looking in particular at inequalities within medicine and training opportunities.

If you have any questions or feedback please feel free to contact Dr Paapa A-Odame  - pa15994@bristol.ac.uk,
Honorary Academic at the University of Bristol.

Survey Link Here

London PSU Projects

For more information regarding PSU (Professional Support Unit) projects and events that may of be interest to you please click on the link below:

PSU projects and events

Research Study – Preparedness for the role of the ‘future doctor’

“How prepared do you feel for the role of the ‘future doctor’?”

We would like to invite you to take part in an important research study into the preparedness of medical graduates for the role of the future doctor. This study is important because it will help us understand the extent to which current medical education and training has prepared medical graduates for future healthcare needs, and will have a direct effect on future policy by organisations such as the General Medical Council, who have commissioned this work.

For more information and how to take part please click here

Would you be interested in attending an International Medical Graduate Peer Support Group?

Are you interested in joining a safe and supportive space for International Medical Graduate trainees from all specialities across London & KSS to connect, share experiences and access support in a relaxed environment, away from training programmes and places of work?

The Professional Development Team would be grateful if you could spend just 3-4 minutes to complete this very short anonymous online survey to find out how much interest there would be in attending such a group and what would make it more likely for you to attend.

An Evening With...

A monthly career night to explore a chosen specialty and gain advice for ST3 applications

Follow the link to the 'An Evening with' flyer for more information.

Foundation E-learning Programme

The Foundation e-learning programme has been developed specifically for Foundation doctors by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges in partnership with Health Education England e-Learning for Healthcare (HEE e-LfH) and is approved by UKFPO.

 

Do you need to complete parts of the curriculum on your e-portfolio which you do not cover in day-to-day practice? If so, why not try some of our free e-learning mapped directly to the Foundation Professional Capabilities (Training Outcomes) in the 2016 Foundation Curriculum.

 

The sessions in the e-LfH Foundation e-learning programme:

Professional Capability: 2
Delivers patient centred care and maintains trust sessions:

 

You can sign in to the e-learning with your login supplied by e-LfH at any time during your foundation training.

 

HORUS and TURAS link to e-LfH e-learning sessions from the FP Curriculum and are therefore accessible to all trainees, making it quicker and easy to access the appropriate session linked to the curriculum.

Core Surgery Training Interview Coaching

For those looking to apply to core surgical training seeking coaching in all aspects of the interview, including presentation and portfolio, please see the flyer below and contact cstinterviewcoaching@gmail.com .

https://lonkssfoundation.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/surgerytraininginterviewcoaching.pdf

Clinical Radiology application course

Are you applying for Radiology this year? Want to maximise your application? Then make sure to sign up for our online RadCast Clinical Radiology Application Course.

Designed by Clinical Radiologists, we have over 50 modules (5 hours of content in total) that walk you through each component of the application process. Whether it’s understanding about the role of A.I or the impact of COVID-19 on the specialty, we’ve developed the most comprehensive and complete Clinical Radiology application course out there.

Plus, it’s all online meaning it's available 24/7 and we are offering candidates an opportunity to boost their portfolio with our bespoke Clinical Radiology prizes. Finally, we are able to facilitate 1-to-1 interview sessions with radiologists to really personalise your preparation.

Last year, 100% of our trainees were successful in securing their Clinical Radiology national training number. Now it’s your turn.

If you’re interested, check out the flyer and go on our course website via www.radcast.co.uk/courses/crac.

You can watch our free introductory video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c19rBsNi9-g

Any questions, feel to get in touch via hello@radcast.co.uk

Flyer

New Recognising and Managing Deterioration e-learning programme launched

Health Education England e-Learning for Healthcare (HEE e-LfH) has worked in partnership with London South Bank University and Bournemouth University, to develop a new, free e-learning programme to support health and social care professionals working in clinical environments where patients could physically deteriorate.

The Recognising and Managing Deterioration programme is an e-learning resource offered at two levels, universal and advanced, to reflect the participant’s experience and clinical setting. This resource is structured around the ABCDE assessment tool and allows participants to revise their anatomy and physiology, develop their skills and knowledge in the assessment process to recognise deterioration and manage the findings within the scope of their clinical role.

Changes to vital signs, behaviour and mental state often occur before a serious event, such as cardiac arrest. Being able to recognise and act on these changes are essential skills to improving patient safety and outcomes. A range of resources are available in this e-learning programme to support the workforce and organisations in ensuring staff have the necessary knowledge and skills to recognise and manage deterioration in adult patients.

How to access the e-learning

The Recognising and Managing Deterioration e-learning programme is available to the health and care workforce via the e-Learning for Healthcare Hub.

You can learn more about the e-learning resources on the Recognising and Managing Deterioration programme page

Useful links

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