KSS Foundation School Swapping Process
The KSS Foundation School gives the opportunity for their Foundation doctors to participate in a ‘Swap Shop’. This opportunity is not available from all Foundation Schools and aims to give greater flexibility to foundation doctors, whilst ensuring a generic and broad training programme for all.
During FY1 (see dates below), doctors are given the opportunity to apply to swap part or all of their allocated F2 programme before the August start date as detailed below.
The ‘Swap Shop’ process will be managed by the KSS Foundation School team as this is not a national process.
Swaps
There are two types of swaps:
- Local Swap – Individual Placement Swaps (maximum of 2 placement swaps with the same doctor in the same Trust)
- Full Programme Swap Shop – Whole Programme Swaps
Three Way Swaps will NOT be considered
KSSFS will not allow swaps involving more than two Foundation doctors. It is not possible for applicants to swap a whole programme and to then apply to swap an individual placement, as only one form of swap will be considered.
Ensuring Educational Balance
All programmes are designed to be educationally balanced and provide exposure to a range of specialties during the two years of the programme.
Your two-year programme should contain no more than:
- 8 months in any surgical specialty (but not repeating the same specialty)
- 8 months in a community specialty (double GP will not be considered)
- 4 months in a psychiatry placement
KSS Swap Shop Process Conditions
- To be fair to all, there is a strict timeline and late applications will not be considered under any circumstances.
- For an application to be considered, a Foundation doctor must be on track to successfully complete F1 training in the opinion of their Foundation Programme Director (FPD).
- It is only possible to swap F2 posts or rotations as part of the formal Foundation School process. Private swaps and swaps arranged outside of the application window are not permitted.
- Swaps between Foundation Schools are not possible via this swap process. A separate Inter-Foundation School Transfer (IFST) process governs moves between Foundation Schools. Details of the IFST criteria, process and the application window can be found on the UKFPO website.
- This local process does not permit/ allow the option to provide supporting evidence or documentation alongside any applications. FSD decisions will be based on the educational balance of programmes to ensure exposure to a range of specialties within the two years of training.
- An application for change in Special Circumstance is a separate process to this.
- Updated 07/11/2024. Any swaps agreed would need to ensure both programmes are balanced. We are aware that some programmes exist that are unbalanced already. These are exceptional and, therefore, we will not accept any swaps that further unbalance a programme e.g swapping a non-community placement for a community placement.
- Local Swap – Individual Placements swaps
Requesting a ‘Local Swap’ allows foundation doctors to apply to swap either 1 or 2 placements (within a whole year’s programme) at the same sequence point(s) of their programme, with one other foundation doctor within the same Trust only.
Placement swaps MUST be with the same Foundation doctor as swaps between more than two foundation doctors are not permitted.
It is the responsibility of swap applicants to find another doctor within their local F2 trust for a local swap. Only one local swap application form needs to be completed for both applicants.
Local swap requests must be received by the dates laid out in the key dates section below and late applications will not be accepted under any circumstances. There is no opportunity to appeal or to submit mitigating evidence once the FSD decision has been made.
Local Swap Example.
Dr A and Dr B are in the same trust and agree to request to swap Placement 4 (P4 -Aug – Dec) and/or Placement 5 (P5 – Dec -April) from each other’s programme in one application. This means that Dr A and Dr B cannot then request any further placement swaps with an additional third doctor.
A swap request must not lead to a duplication of a speciality within the full 2-year programme, even if this is at another hospital/ trust. (i.e. KSSFS would not approve a swap that leads to an applicant repeating say, Urology or Geriatric Medicine twice in their two-year Foundation Programme).
SFP
Foundation doctors on the specialised foundation programme may not swap their academic placement. They may only swap their clinical placements.
Please note that no registration is required for the Local Swap Shop and only one local swap application form needs to be made via the online form link as in the process detailed below:
| Process Activity | Who | When / Deadline |
| Local Swap application window opens via the online Local swap form | Foundation Doctor | 29th January 2025 |
| Local Swap application window closes | 26th February 2025 at 9am | |
| Applications are reviewed and approved/rejected | Foundation School Director and Deputy Director | Early March 2025 |
| Applicants notified of the FSD decision outcome | KSS Foundation team | By the 28th March 2025 Please do not email the KSS FS Team chasing for outcomes prior to this date. |
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- Full Programme Swap Shop – Whole Programme Swaps
We appreciate that sometimes doctors’ circumstances change and they may wish to change the location of their training or experience a different set of specialties. To try to facilitate such changes, KSSFS offers a foundation doctor-led swapping process, which may allow a doctor to swap their entire F2 programme with another doctor, as in the process timeline detailed below.
Eligibility for Whole Programme Swaps (Swap Shop)
- Must be a full time Foundation Doctor.
- Must not be out of sync.
- Must not be on the specialised foundation programme.
| Process Activity | Who | When / Deadline |
| Full Swap Registration Form opens. F1 doctors interested in participating in the whole programme swap are asked to complete an online Registration Full Programme Swap Form. This registration form includes an agreement for doctor’s placement and email details to be shared with other Foundation doctors, so as to build a data base of available programmes being offered to swap. The KSS Foundation team manage this data securely. | Each individual foundation doctor must register for a full programme swap | 13th January 2025 |
| Applicant receives acknowledgement email confirming receipt. | KSS Foundation School team | KSS Foundation School will send an acknowledgment email within 48 hours. NB: please ensure you have received an email, or you cannot assume your form has been successfully submitted |
| Full Programme Swap shop registration form closes | 27th January 2025 at 9am | |
| Swap Shop application window opens. | KSS Foundation School team shares details to all doctors who have applied for the whole programme swaps via a spreadsheet. This spreadsheet will include the doctors name, email, F2 trust and rotations. | 29th January 2025 |
| Pre-registered applicants find a swapping partner from the list supplied and complete the Online Full Programme swap form. It is the foundation doctor’s responsibility to find a swapping partner from the list supplied and complete and submit the online form. | Foundation Doctor Only one application form per whole programme swap needs to be submitted for both applicants. | 29th January 2025 |
| Full Programme application window closes | 26th February 2025 at 9am | |
| Applications are reviewed and approved/rejected | Foundation School Director and Deputy Director | Early March 2025 |
| Applicants notified of the FSD decision | KSS Foundation School team | Early March 2025 Please do not email the KSS FS Team chasing for outcomes prior to this date. |
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Please note: Only registered applicants can take part in a full programme swap.
Full Programme Swap Shop Additional information:
- All foundation doctors must be registered for Swap Shop by the dates laid out in the key dates section above.
- Swaps between more than two foundation doctors are NOT permitted.
- The swap application must be received by the dates laid out in the key dates section above. Late applications cannot be accepted and there is no opportunity to appeal.
- A swap request must not lead to a duplication of a speciality within the full 2-year programme, even if this is at another hospital/ trust. (i.e. KSSFS would not approve a swap that leads to an applicant repeating say, urology or Geriatric Medicine twice in their two-year Foundation Programme).
- There is no opportunity to appeal or to submit mitigating evidence once the FSD decision has been made.
This full programme process does not permit/ allow the option to provide supporting evidence or documentation alongside any applications. FSD decisions will be based on the educational balance of programmes to ensure exposure to a range of specialties within the two years of training.
Further questions?
Please contact england.kssfoundationyear2.se@nhs.net if you have any further questions.
FAQs
Why can I not swap my F1 placements?
A: It is important for an F1 doctor to have time to settle into their training before deciding to swap the content of their programme. Therefore, KSSFS runs one ‘Swap Shop’ process per year halfway through the F1 year.
If my application to swap is rejected, can I appeal?
A: No, the Foundation School Director’s decision is final, and you will be given the reason for their decision.
What is the difference between Local Swap and Swap Shop?
A: Local swaps are for foundation doctors who wish to swap one or more F2 placements with another foundation doctor within the same FY2 Trust. You do not need to register for Local Swaps.
A: Swap Shop is for doctors who wish to swap their whole F2 programme with another foundation doctor. The programme swapped doesn’t necessarily need to be within the same Trust but needs to remain within KSS. You must register for Swap shop AND submit an application form.
Can Academic Doctors apply for Local Swaps or Swap Shop?
A: If you have been allocated to an academic programme you are not eligible to enter into Swap Shop but may apply for a Local Swap. Should you apply for a local swap you may only swap your clinical placements.
Can Military Doctors apply for Local Swaps or Swap Shop?
A: No. Military placements have specific requirements managed by the Defence Deanery which means they cannot be included in the Swap process.
I missed the window for swap shop, can I submit a late application?
A: No, swap requests outside the formal swap shop window will not be permitted.