Less Than Full Time Training

Working less than one full time equivalent. This is on a pro-rata basis most commonly at 60% or 80% of the full-time equivalent hours.

Anyone! In years gone by you had to fit into one of three categories but now Health Education England (HEE) have scrapped the category system. Whilst HEE still maintain that you need a ‘well-founded’ reason some examples are as follows:

i.                 Trainees with a disability or ill health – this may include ongoing medical procedures such as fertility treatment.

ii.                Trainees with caring responsibilities (e.g. for children, or for an ill/disabled partner, relative or other dependent).

iii.              Welfare and wellbeing – There may be reasons not directly related disability or ill health where trainees may benefit from a reduced working 2 pattern. This could have a beneficial effect on their health and wellbeing (e.g. reducing potential burnout).

iv.              Unique Opportunities – A trainees is offered a unique opportunity for their own personal/professional development and this will affect their ability to training full time (e.g. training for national/international sporting events, or a short-term extraordinary responsibility such as a membership of a national committee or continuing medical research as a bridge to progression in integrated academic training). 

v.                Religious commitment – A trainee has a religious commitment that involves training for a particular role and requires a specific time commitment resulting in the need to work less than full time.

vi.              Non-medical development – A trainee is offered non-medical professional development (e.g. management courses, law courses or fine arts courses) that requires a specific time commitment resulting in the need to work less than time. 

vii.             Flexibility for training and career development with the option to train less than full time with flexibility that might enable development of a broad career portfolio.  

Before applying you must discuss it with you ES & TPD.

Applications need to be made 3 months in advance of starting your next placement. This can be expedited with local agreement in exceptional circumstances.

The application form is found here.

Short answer, yes. At 80% it will take 15 months to complete a 12 month WTE (whole time equivalent)  post and at 60% it will take 20 months to complete.

Whilst training remains ‘competency’ based there is inevitably a time-based element to that competency. If you feel you are progressing well with modules and can evidence that as such you can request to progress more quickly at ARCP but this will be at the discretion of the panel (CCT date can be brought forward a maximum of 3 months).

Most commonly you are given a fixed day/ two off in the week. 80% LTFT get one day and 60% two. The day you choose is up to you but may not be possible due to rota constraints, it is easier to write a rota if you can avoid Monday/ Friday as an off day.

It can be helpful to rota writers if you are willing to work a night shift on your ‘off day’/ finish nights on an ‘off day’. Let them know this when you are rotating as it can be incredibly helpful. Make sure you check your pay as detailed below if you do this.

In an ideal world you should receive a ‘work schedule’ for both the full-time post and your 80% ‘work schedule’ that should be correct for your actual rota, not just the template. If you don’t receive this, you can check following the steps below.

1.     Firstly, check you are working roughly 80% of the shifts in the rota pattern. I.e 80% of normal days, 80% long days, 80% nights, 80% weekends. You can do this by comparing to a full-time trainee in the ‘master rota’ or by asking a full-time colleague to share their rota pattern.

2.     Next, check your ‘work schedule’ to make sure you are being paid the correct amount for the actual shifts you are working and not just your ‘template’. You can use the BMA pay tables to check this.

3.     If you find you are being paid incorrectly/ working the incorrect number of shifts, speak to your rota coordinator and college tutor first in order to get the pattern correct. Once the pattern is correct speak to HR in order to get the pay right and insist on a ‘work schedule’ for the hours you are working.

You will receive a pro-rata amount of annual leave (eg ST4 32 days a year, 26 days at 80%). Public holidays are also pro-rata, and you can take time off in lieu like normal.

Yes! Often this can be a good way to top up your income in a flexible way. All shifts must be documented on your Form R part B for ARCP but you can group shifts together eg. ‘ULH 10 shifts on ICU’. Keep in mind you don’t need to declare extra shifts done at your main place of work.

-        Make sure you get the £1000 pay premia!

-        Ensure you get the correct amount of annual leave

-        You can design your own rota in some departments

-        Maintain a CCT date calculator

-        Include your LTFT status in all documentation