July 2025

Highly Important

** IMPORTANT- F1 doctors moving from provisional to full registration**

We are approaching the time when most of you need to apply for GMC full registration to progress to Foundation Year 2 (F2). You cannot start F2 until you have been granted full registration with a licence to practise.

During the last week of May 2025, the GMC will email all F1 doctors who qualified at UK medical schools to invite them to apply for full registration. You will be asked to log into your GMC Online and submit an online application. Click here for more information

If you are an International Medical Graduate (IMG) in an F1 post you will not get an automatic email from the GMC inviting you to apply for full registration. To make your application, please visit the Applications section of the GMC’s website and read the guidance that is relevant to you. You can then make your application online. There is additional information and top tips for internationally qualified doctors available on line here.

It is your responsibility to inform both the foundation school and your F2 employing trust if you are aware that there may be a delay in your GMC full registration being granted on time for you to start on the 6 August 2025.

Important Information

Provisionally registered doctors (foundation year one/F1) must not undertake formal locum posts or activities.

Provisionally registered doctors can undertake occasional ad hoc additional/overtime shifts on their current FY1 placement or previous FY1 placements that have formed part of their F1 rotation, where such work is undertaken only within the limits of their current competence and with the support of their educational supervisor. When undertaking such occasional ad hoc additional/overtime work, provisionally registered doctors should be clear with other members of their team about their current experience and level of competence.

SCRIPT – supporting safer prescribing practices

***UPDATE FROM THE SCRIPT TEAM***

  • New script modules are now available and were released to all foundation doctors (F1 and F2) on the 1 July 2025.
  • The SCRIPT Team have completed work on a new edition of the Medicine & Surgery portfolio for Foundation Schools. The new edition comes with the following enhancements:
    • Reauthoring of selected modules to maintain alignment with the underlying evidence base.
    • Redesign and splitting of larger modules into more discrete modules to reduce per module running time, whilst expanding on scope, in response to Foundation Doctor feedback.
    • Module interfaces and navigation upgraded to a new design to maintain WCAG AA compliancy for improved accessibility for those with learning difficulties.

Please find attached further information here to include the new list of modules available.

It is a local KSS Foundation School recommendation that all F1 and F2 doctors complete 6 script modules per year prior to ARCP.  The topics are not mandated by the foundation school, however your trust may mandate topics to support learning.

The SCRIPT programme is a collection of innovative eLearning portfolios designed to encourage safe and effective prescribing and medicines management among healthcare professionals.

SCRIPT will enhance your knowledge and confidence in prescribing correctly, improving patient safety, therapeutics and medicines management. You will receive a certificate for each module that you complete, which can be used in your online learning portfolio. SCRIPT is easy to use. You can access the modules at a time which suits you and revisit them even after completion. You can learn more about the SCRIPT eLearning programme and how to sign up by visiting Medicine & Surgery | Safe Prescriber

Study Leave

The KSSFS Admin Team often receive queries on how KSS Foundation Year 2 Doctors can apply for Discretionary Study Leave. For clarity, please see below.

Discretionary Study Leave should be applied for prospectively and not retrospectively:

  1. Foundation Resident Doctor (FRD) seeks support from Educational Supervisor.

2. FRD completes the Discretionary study leave form before sending to the local FTPD for approval (so that all details are available to consider prior to approving).

3. Local FTPD sends completed Discretionary Study Leave form to area Foundation School Director (FSD) to request approval.

4. FSD/Head of School (HOS) approves?

Yes – FSD/HOS forwards the FTPD and HOS approval by email to england.studyleave.kss@nhs.net

No – FSD/HOS informs FRD and FTPD of reason why not approved.

5. If approved, the KSS Study Leave team assigns the Discretionary Approval Code and emails it to the FRD along with information of the expenses available to them.  

This process is shown on the flow chart here.

**Please note that the management of KSS Study Leave has changed from 01 April 2025. From this date, KSS Resident Doctors will link to the SE Study Leave  for guidance on travel and accommodation and subsistence**

2024-25 TAB (Team Assessment of Behaviour) window dates

The recommended dates for TAB are detailed below but these dates are not mandatory. More information on the TAB process can be found on the Horus Website.

Placement 1

Opens: Friday 3 October 2025

Closes: Monday 1 December 2025

Placement 2

Opens: Friday 6 February 2026

Closes: Monday 30 March 2026

Placement 3

Opens: Friday 17 April 2026

Closes: Monday 18 May 2026

KSS Contact details:

For Foundation Year 1 queries please email england.kssfoundationyear1.se@nhs.net

For Foundation Year 2 queries please email england.kssfoundationyear2.se@nhs.net

For any other queries, please email england.kssfoundationenquiries.se@nhs.net

PSA sittings 2025-2026

All sittings are scheduled to commence at 13.00.

  • Wednesday 15 October 2025
  • Thursday 26 March 2026
  • Thursday 23 April 2026

enhance Programme

Hopefully, enhance will have been introduced to you as a Foundation doctor during induction and those wishing to take part will have expressed an interest. However, there is still time to participate, so please contact your local FTPD or PGMDE team if you are interested in taking part and they will be able to help you.

enhance is available to everyone who works for NHS England and you can find more information on the KSS website.

e-learning opportunities

Welcome to your June 2025 update from the Foundation elearning programme and July 2025 update from the Foundation elearning programme.

The Foundation elearning programme covers key areas in your Foundation curriculum. It has been developed specifically for Foundation doctors by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges in partnership with NHS England elearning for healthcare (NHSE elfh) and is approved by the UK Foundation Programme (UKFPO).

Foundation School Representatives

Please see below for 2024-25 KSS Foundation Doctor Representatives. Further information is available here.

NameGradeEmail
Dr Heloise MetzgerF1 (Lead)heloise.metzger@nhs.net
Dr Ramaa ParulekarF1 (Deputy)ramaa.parulekar@nhs.net
Dr Harriet SharpF2harriet.sharp11@nhs.net
Dr Preeyan ShahF2preeyan.shah2@nhs.net
Dr William JenkinsF2william.jenkins10@nhs.net

Courses, events, surveys and articles

Webinar: Beyond the basics: Exploring foundation training pathways and opportunities – 22 July 2025, 18:00-19:00

The panel will explore the different types of foundation programmes (including SFP and enhance) and how foundation doctors can make the most out of these opportunities. Great for those who will be starting foundation training this year or next year, or continuing foundation training in August, and want some insight and top tips!

When: 22 July 2025, 18:00-19:00

Where: Virtual via Microsoft Teams. You do not need to pre-register, simply join the webinar at 18:00. The webinar will be recorded and uploaded to the UKFPO webinars webpage within two weeks of the webinar date.

Target Audience: Potential foundation programme applicants, doctors about to start the foundation programme and foundation year one doctors

Webinar panel:

Dr Mike Masding, UKFPO National Clinical Director

Dr Jie Fei Lau, UKFPO Fellow and F2 doctor

Dr Darya Ibrahim, UKFPO Fellow and F2 doctor

Dr Harriet Sharp, foundation school representative for Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) Foundation School and F2 doctor

Email foundation.educationandsupport@nhs.net with any queries.

Teaching Programme for Core Training Applications: Portfolio & Interview Preparation

Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn are pleased to invite you to a teaching programme designed to support your preparation for training programmes after FY2. This includes specialties such as core anaesthetics training, internal medicine training, GP training, obstetrics and gynaecology, ACCS emergency medicine and core surgical training. There will also be a talk on taking an academic year out in research/ pursuing a master’s degree.

This programme will cover:

  • How to develop and present your portfolio effectively
  • Key strategies for interview preparation and performance
  • Insights into the application process and what recruiters are looking for
  • Tips from doctors who have recently succeeded in obtaining training posts

The sessions are aimed at Foundation Year 1 and 2 doctors and equivalent trust doctors considering applying to core-level training posts in the upcoming recruitment rounds.

Dates & Times: 6-7pm on Mondays. Please see below for dates of specific talks.

Location/Platform: MS teams. Please join the mailing list to receive the links for the talks.

Sign up and mailing list: https://forms.gle/XCNnx1jqzV5neQin6

Schedule:

11 August: Core Anaesthetic Training

18 August: Internal Medicine Training

25 August: GP Training

1 September: Obstetrics and Gynaecology

8 September: ACCS Emergency Medicine

15 September: Academic Year Out

22 September: Core Surgical Training

Oxford Ultrasound Course for Foundation Doctors and Medical Students is now registering

Venue: Green Templeton College, University of Oxford

Date: 29/10/2025

Timing: 08:30-17:00

See flyer and further details here.

Link to registration: https://forms.gle/wSe2i3xGVpHDswqp6

UKFPO Webinar Resources

Please keep an eye on the website for future webinar dates and topic updates: https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/resources/ukfpo-webinars/. Recordings of previous webinars can also be accessed from this page.

Reminders and Guidance

TIS Checks

Please can we use this opportunity to remind Medical Education colleagues in Trusts to work with their Medical Staffing teams to regularly check Foundation Doctors’ posts on TIS, against internal records. Early recognition of any discrepancies can help us all to resolve issues quickly.

Also, if you have not already informed us of any F1s that have withdrawn from training, please do so, as we aren’t always made aware by trainees themselves.

Foundation Doctors taking Parental Leave

Please can all foundation doctors who will be taking a period of Parental Leave complete the following training interruption form: https://kss.hee.nhs.uk/kss-foundation/useful-links-and-documents/ and return to england.kssfoundationenquiries.se@nhs.net. This is in addition to informing your employing Trust.

Less Than Full Time (LTFT) Training

Please click the link below for guidance regarding Less Than Full Time (LTFT) training:Less Than Full Time Training – Working across Kent, Surrey and Sussex

Foundation doctors in GP and psychiatry placements contributing to acute services     

Please see below link for guidance regarding Foundation doctors in community placements contributing to acute services: https://kss.hee.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/09/KSSFS-Foundation-doctors-in-GP-and-psychiatry-placements-contributing-to-acute-services_2.pdf

NHS employers’ guidance on induction for international medical graduates

Please see below link to guidance from NHS employers:

https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Welcoming-and-Valuing-International-Medical-Graduates-A-guide-to-induction-for-IMGs-WEB.pdf

Foundation Doctor Role and Responsibilities

For guidance, please see document “Foundation Doctor Role and Responsibilities within the Local Education Provider and Minimum Requirements for Clinical Supervision of Foundation Doctors” here.

Useful Websites and Contacts

UKFPO Bulletin:

Read the latest UKFPO bulletin (July 2025)