Out of Programme Guidance, Process and Application for Public Health trainees in KSS

Planned career break related to personal circumstances or other requirements. This does not count towards training and the trainees CCT date will be adjusted accordingly.

Gaining clinical experience, which is not approved by the GMC, but which may benefit the trainee, e.g. volunteering overseas in a medical capacity. The period of time taken OOPE will not count towards training and the trainees CCT date will be adjusted accordingly.

Allows trainees to step out of formal training for up to one year to undertake an NHS or other patient facing UK based non-training post. This flexibility initiative can be a vital tool to support trainee wellbeing.

Undertaking a period of research, e.g. clinical trials. The trainee cannot take more than 3 years out of programme for research unless in highly exceptional circumstances (subject to approval by the Head of School and NHSE). OOPR can count towards the trainee’s CCT date for up to 12 months of the agreed period.

Undertaking clinical training which is not a part of the trainee’s current specialty training programme. OOPT will count towards the trainee’s CCT date for up to 12 months of the agreed period.

Doctors in training intending to act up as a consultant within the last twelve months of their training may be asked, by the Trust with whom they are employed or another Trust, to act up into the role of a consultant.  This can be for a maximum of three months. For Less Than Full Time doctors in training, the period of acting up may be pro rata of the three months. This will count toward the doctors in training’s Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration Combined Programme (CESR CP), if approved by the Postgraduate Dean and subject to a satisfactory Educational Supervisors report.

Trainees requesting OOP should apply 6 months prior to the projected start date of the OOP.  If notice of OOP is less than 6 months, please note that the application process may not complete by your requested OOP start date.  We will try to process this in the time frame given but we cannot guarantee that this will be possible.

Trainees MUST discuss their request with their Educational Supervisor (ES) before submitting the application.  You must declare on the application form that your ES has agreed to this request, if you declare this without discussion and permission from the supervisor your application will be rejected and could become a probity issue.

Trainees should also contact the HR and Pensions Departments at their Employing Trust when considering OOP.  This is important to clarify the implications for their continuity of NHS Service and any possible effect on maintaining their licence to practice during the proposed period of OOP.

Trainees should also contact the HR and Pensions Departments at their Employing Trust when considering OOP.  This is important to clarify the implications for their continuity of NHS Service and any possible effect on maintaining their licence to practice during the proposed period of OOP.
Trainees will not normally be allowed to take time OOP in the final year of training other than in exceptional circumstances. Any such applications must be discussed with the Head of School.
A maximum of 3 years out of clinical training will be allowed, however this will only be for OOPRs. A maximum of 1 year is allowed for OOPC, OOPT and OOPE. Extensions to this will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances and will require further written approval from the HOS/PGD and Specialist Training Committee (STC) Chair / TPD.

Six months’ notice must be given to the TPD and EPSM of any changes to the anticipated date of return to the programme. Failure to do this may result in delayed re-entry to the programme or being allocated to another programme.  Trainees must also keep the programme up to date contact address and e-mail throughout the OOP placement.

As per Gold Guide 3.147 Trainees MUST maintain their license to practice while on OOP as well as their connection with NHSE, NES, HEIW or NIMDTA for the purposes of revalidation and might be at risk of training number/contract withdrawal (paragraph 3.99 v) if they do not.

Trainees must continue to have an Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) or Record of In-Training Assessment (RITA) for which an out of programme report will need to be submitted for each year that they are out of programme for consideration by the annual review panel. This will need to be accompanied by an assessment report of the trainee’s progress in their research or clinical placement. Failure to do this could result in the loss of the training number.

Attach details of your proposed training for which GMC prospective approval will be required if the training does not already have GMC approval (e.g. if it is part of a recognised training programme in a different region if will already be recognised training). For on-going OOP this document should accompany the assessment documentation for ARCP.
OOPT / OOPR applications, once the above documentation has been received and reviewed an application will be made by the KSS PGME Team for prospective GMC approval where the Head of Specialty/ Dean is willing to endorse the application. Approval will be granted only once GMC approval has been received.

Describe the clinical experience you are planning to undertake (e.g. overseas posting with a voluntary organisation). For on-going OOP, a short report from your supervisor confirming that you are still undertaking clinical experience should accompany this for the ARCP

Send your outline research proposal to the EPSM and include the name/location of your research supervisor. For on-going OOP a report from the research supervisor needs to be submitted for the ARCP. Please be aware that you are not permitted to take time out of programme for research in excess of 3 years unless in highly exceptional circumstances with prospective permission from my Head of School and NHSE
You should check with your Royal College to determine whether the curriculum under which you are training permits any proposed OOPR to count towards training. Some Colleges do not make provision for this.

Provide a brief outline for your reasons for requesting a career break whilst retaining your training number. Please note that breaks longer than 12 months will need to be discussed with your PG Dean.

Time out of programme (OOP) will not normally be agreed until a trainee has been in a NHSE approved training programme for at least one year of training (unless at the time of appointment, deferral of the start of the programme has been agreed for leave on statutory grounds). Trainees should have had at least one ARCP at which point they should be attaining the curriculum goals at a rate not requiring alteration of their initial CCT date, excepting where arrangements for LTFT have been put into place. These trainees will be eligible to apply for Out of Programme Pause.
For those trainees on a tier 2 visa sponsored by NHSE, please be aware that upon undertaking an OOPP post, your visa sponsorship with NHSE will be cancelled and you will need to apply for sponsorship with your new employer whilst undertaking your OOPP placement.
Upon returning to your training programme with NHSE you will need reapply for sponsorship to the NHSE Tier 2 team, you will not need to go through recruitment process again and can commence directly back into training. If you are considering any other immigration route other than Tier 2 while out on OOPP you are advised to contact the Tier 2 team (tier2@NHSE.nhs.uk) before your sponsorship is withdrawn as you may be subject to a12 month cooling off period, set by the Home Office, before returning to training with NHSE.