Flexible Training

Dr Helen GoodyearAssociate Postgraduate Dean for flexible training

Working flexibly

• Part time training

• Must work at least 50% i.e. 5 sessions or more per week

Flexible training

• Male or female doctors

• Unable to train full time

• Well founded individual reasons

Eligibility

• Category 1

• Category 2

Each case is considered on its merits

Category 1

• Disability or ill health

• Responsibility for children

• Caring for disabled/ill partner, relative or dependent

Category 2

• Unique opportunities for personal/professional development

• Service to the wider NHS

• Other reasons (but not research)

Which grades

• Training posts– F1– F2– StR/FTSTA– SpR– GP Registrar

Quality of flexible training

• Same mix of training and service as full time

• Same range and breadth of training but over a longer time period

• Equal access to teaching, study, audit, research etc

• Regular reviews of progress.

Advantages

• Reduced working hours

• Fixed weekly commitments, allowing planning for family life

• Studies show flexible trainees are happier and more enthusiastic than full timers

• Can return to full time at any time

Disadvantages

• Drop in salary, complexities of pay

• An additional trainee competing for limited training opportunities

• May be first flexible trainee for department/practice

• Can still be difficult to balance home responsibilities and work

Enquiries

• Postgraduate Dean’s office for the region

• Fill in application form or arrange interview with Associate Dean responsible for flexible training

• www.wmdeanery.org look at careers section and find guide to flexible training

• www.bma.org

Appointment process

• If already in post, convert to flexible training by asking Associate Dean

• Otherwise, apply for post in same way as fulltimers

• Get written confirmation that Associate Dean has considered you eligible for flexible training

• Be short-listed and appointed in open competition

Once appointed

• Educational approval –Royal college, Deanery and PMETB

• Training programme– Hours of work– Educational supervisor

• Administrative details - start date, pay, occupational health etc

Deanery approval

• Specialist and specialty registrars retain their Training number

• F1/F2 - staffing approval from the Postgraduate Dean( provided the programme has educational

approval and satisfies the Associate Dean)

Deanery funding of flexible training

• Slotshare

• Part time in a fulltime slot

• (Supernumerary)

Flexible funding -slotsharing

• Many deaneries ask flexible trainees to slotshare

• Two trainees share a fulltime slot and may work 50-70% each

• Has the advantage that training programme is already established

• Different to a jobshare where 2 trainees apply together for a post and may only work at 50% each.

Hours of work

• All flexible trainees must work a minimum of 50% of a full-time post.

• Usually a maximum of 60% in a slotshare. Working more than 70% the trainee is usually in a fulltime slot with reduced hours

• Actual hours worked depends on fulltimers hours – Fulltimers work 56 hours – 50% is 28 hours Fulltimers

work 48hours – 50% is 24 hours

Duration of training

• Extended pro-rata so that training duration is equivalent to a full timer– working at 60%, need to work 10 months for 6 months

WTE

– If fulltime posts are for 4 months then a flexible trainee will work for 8 months eg GP VTS posts

Future training will be competency based

Pay scales

• See www.bma.org for pay scales

• Paid on flexible band if work < 40 hours per week (applies to all trainees working 50-70%)

• New Pay Deal for flexible trainees started in June 2005

Flexible trainees basic salary• Basic salary is determined by the actual hours of work

– i.e. = standard hours + out of hours worked

Divided into 4 hour bands• F5 is 20 to<24 hrs of actual work/week - 0.5FBS• F6 is 24 to<28hrs of actual work/week - 0.6FBS• F7 is 28 to<32 hrs of actual work/week - 0.7FBS• F8 is 32 to<36 hrs of actual work/week - 0.8FBS• F9 is 36 to<40hrs of actual work/week - 0.9FBS 

Banding supplements

• Payable if hours are worked outside 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday or are > 40 hours per week.

• Band FA – trainees working at high intensity and at the most unsocial times.

 • Band FB – trainees working at less intensity at

less unsocial times. • Band FC – all other trainees with on call duties.

Banding Summary – see flowchart• Band 3 Not new deal compliant –1.0 FBS• Band FA (0.5)

1/3 duty hours outside 7am to 7pm Mon to Fri OR work 1 in 6.5 weekends or greater OR on call rota of 1in 10 (inc PC) or more frequentlyOn call rota of 1in 13.5 or more frequently and resident on call

• Band FB (0.4)< 1/3 duty hours outside 7am to 7pm Mon to FriAll other resident on callNon-resident on call 1in 13.5 or more frequently and less than 4

hours work after 7pm on 50% occasions

• Band FC (0.2)Non-resident on call 1 in 13.5 or less frequently

Banding supplements

• Supplement payable as a proportion of the calculated flexible basic pay (band F5 to F9)

• FA - 50%

• FB - 40%

• FC - 20%

Total salary

• Total salary = salary* + [ salary* x 0.5or 0.4or 0.2]

 

• *salary = F5 to F9 calculated

Example• 70% of the work of a full-time trainee• Total working hours add up to 33, putting the

trainee’s basic pay at F8 (0.8)• Banding FB (40%)• Basic Pay = 0.8 x FBS• Supplement = 0.4 x 0.8 x FBS• Total = 1.12 x FBS

• Needs to be monitored twice yearly and hours of work should be 32 to 35 hours/week

Funding

• Depends on satisfactory progress and career progress

• Foundation year assessments

• SpR and StR yearly RITAs

Flexible training

• Limited resources

• Aim to fund all category 1 applicants

• Waiting lists of around 6 months in some deaneries to train flexibly

What you can do to help• Plan well in advance - 6 months at least if possible

• Check the following– Educational approval has been given– Training programme has been arranged– Flexible post will be funded– Administrative details eg start date, contract , pay

• Start on the correct day, work well and enjoy flexible training

Summary

• Flexible training (5 sessions +)

• If you are considering this option ensure early discussion with the Associate Postgraduate Dean for flexible training