Counting experience prior to entry into a CCT training programme

The RCoA has issued guidance on counting experience outside of training, which can be found here.

Background

Recent changes to General Medical Council (GMC) and Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (the Academy) have increased the potential for flexibility in training, and made new ‘out of programme’ options possible.

The GMC update on CCT requirements has removed the necessity for doctors to meet the minimum training time in anaesthesia as a result of the UK’s exit from the European Union. Doctors entering a combined training programme with previous experience in posts not approved by the GMC could now be eligible for a CCT rather than a Certificate of Eligibility for the Specialist Register (combined programme) (CESR[CP]).

The Academy also recently published Guidance for flexibility in postgraduate training and changing specialties. This updates the Accreditation of Transferable Competences Framework and gives guidance for doctors wishing to change specialty, experienced doctors wishing to join a training programme, and doctors wishing to count training from outside their training programme.

Principles

• Experience that might count towards CCT could be from work undertaken in the UK before recruitment to a core or higher training post. The maximum length of time counted is 12 months whole time equivalent (WTE).
• This is in addition to any time spent completing stage 1 or CT3 'top up' training, or any other top up training needed for transition to the 2021  curriculum. There is no requirement to complete this process for top-up training.
• The experience to be counted should match the stage of training at that time, and should show an increase in capability and responsibility (ie those entering higher specialty training at ST4 would be able to count previous experience towards stage 2 training, but not stage 3).
• Schools have a responsibility to deliver fair training to all of the doctors on their programme, and it may not be possible or practical to accelerate one doctor’s training at the expense of others on the rotation.

Process

All requests for recognition should be evidenced using the RCoA Lifelong Learning Platform (LLP).

• Doctors should ensure their LLP indicates an Out Of Programme (OOP) placement for the review period, but they can still continue to record supervised learning events (SLEs) during this time, and/or record training evidence as Personal Activities on the LLP.
• Holistic Assessments of Learning Outcomes (HALOs) or Completion of Unit Training (CUT) forms should not be submitted on the LLP while outside a training programme.

At the start of a training programme, the doctor should meet with their Educational Supervisor (ES) and Training Programme Director (TPD), and undertake a gap analysis of their experience, and develop a training plan.

• The Educational Supervisor’s Structured Report (ESSR) form can be used to collate the evidence and support this process, with the TPD assigned to the College Tutor role. (TPDs may need to contact the college at lifelong@rcoa.ac.uk to get their account adjusted, to accommodate this).
• The training plan, gap analysis, and any other relevant documentation should be reviewed within the first three months of starting a training post in an ARCP-style process. This may require a panel, and can be face-to-face or virtual.
• The panel will then make a recommendation on how much time can count towards CCT, and summarise what domains of learning, or units of training have been completed.
• A notification of the above recommendations should be sent to the College, after being approved by the TPD or Head of School, and the Regional Adviser (RA(A)) or Deputy RA(A).

The notification and supporting evidence will be reviewed by the RCoA Training, Curriculum, and Assessment Committee. Our response including, if necessary, a new prospective completion date will be confirmed by letter.

Supporting documents and forms

You can download a copy of the Gap analysis form here (Microsoft Word form)

You can download a copy of the Notification form here (Microsoft Word form)

You can download a copy of this guidance including the above forms here (pdf)