Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I apply for your scheme?
To get onto the Bradford scheme, you have to apply to Yorkshire-Humber Deanery; recruitment happens centrally via the Deanery. To apply to Yorkshire Deanery, go to the National Recruitment Office at www.gprecruitment.org.uk .
You'll have to go through a short listing process and then through a recruitment process if successful. If you are successful after the recruitment process, you can then say where you'd like to go. Whether you get that choice or not depends how highly you ranked (amongst your peers) in the recruitment assessments.
Don't forget to check out Yorkshire-Humber Deanery's website too: www.yorkshiredeanery.com
What are the requirements for VTS eligibility?
Before you can apply to ANY Vocational Training Scheme in the UK, you need to satisfy 3 criteria:
1. To be registered with the GMC at the time of application
2. To have UK GMC registration prior to taking up post in general practice
3. To have membership of a defence organisation when taking up post in general practice.
Can I transfer from another deanery to yours? (Interdeanery Transfers)
This is possible; it's called an interdeanery transfer. Although people accepted on to other Yorkshire-Humber schemes have the right to transfer after their first 6 months to a scheme of their choice, we can not guarantee to take them as we may not have suitable job vacancies available. You have to have a very good reason for requesting the move.
I want to train flexibly. Can you cater for this?
Flexible training can usually be arranged, but timetabling problems often limit the choice of posts available and occasionally means a few months delay in accommodating flexible trainees.
Click here for more information: Flexible Training for General Practice
I would like to train on a part time basis. What does part time training mean? (LTFTT)
There is an increasing demand for less than full time training (LTFTT). Those who work less than full time in the NHS make a really important contribution and are a valued part of the NHS workforce. Although there is no statutory right to less than full time training, we must do our best to accommodate doctors who wish to train on a less than full time basis. The trainee is required to demonstrate that training on a full time basis would not be practicable for them for "well founded individual reasons."
The minimum basis for less than full time training is 50% of the full time commitment. In order to make the best use of slot shares and to help with the timing of rotations it would be helpful if 50% was the usual basis for less than full time training.
PMETB/RCGP certification unit also check that there is at least one week of full time working for GP training posts. The options for less than full time training include:
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Pairing doctors together who wish to train on a less than full time basis. The doctors would work a job share each doing 50% (or 60% with the deanery picking up the additional salary cost). The programme director would identify a suitable post.
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Creating an additional supernumerary post. There is limited funding for this type of post and the current deanery policy means that this type of post is only available to doctors who wish to train less than full time because of health needs. The deanery funds the basic salary costs, but the trust has to identify the funding for any banding supplement. In practice this is difficult to organise and it is possible to create a post that has PMETB approval without significant out of hours (i.e. experience including unscheduled/emergency care between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.) All these supernumerary posts need "ad personam" approval from PMETB before the trainee starts in post. Retrospective approval will not be granted by PMETB. The programme director will have to submit a form B to PMETB via the deanery showing how the post covers the GP curriculum, including experience in unscheduled care/emergency work. You should identify possible options with your programme director and then liaise with Dr Ros Roden, Associate Dean at an early stage
My GP job is harder than some of my colleagues. Isn't this unfair and can't you do something to make all the GPR jobs a bit more uniform?
In real life, different practices work in different ways and have different workloads; the variation in trainee jobs mirror this reality of life. This means that some trainees may find themselves in more challenging practices than others; no two jobs are the same. Try not to see this as a disadvantage; imagine the differing case loads and experience you will gain. Imagine the extra skills you will acquire. You will learn the powerful skill of being able to cope with a variety of situations. Can you see the powerful positives?
We continually assess all of our training practices and we have found the workload to be reasonable and the trainers to be flexible and fair. Further concerns can be discussed with one of the programme directors.
What are the guidelines on Out of Hours (OOH) commitment?
Basically you need to do on call. In hospital posts, this will be whatever the department has organised. In general practice posts, you will participate in a rota for on call with the out of hours service providers. The rota will have already been worked out in advanced and is available on this website (go to the bottom section of the home page).
We realise that GP trainees are human and like most doctors are not overcome with a love of on-call. You are however paid a VERY significant uplift in your salary for on-call and so cannot opt out. However, you might find it helpful to remember that the Yorkshire-Humber approach is an educational one rather than a punitive or service approach.
Trainees who are working less than full time in a traditional GP post are not expected to do the same level of on call as a full timer. Their slice of the cake should be pro rata i.e. 60%.
Yorkshire being so diverse in geography has different problems about on-call in different areas. This also means that one model as an answer does not fit all.
What are the regulations regarding siickness absence during training for general practice?
The policy for sickness absence is the same as in general practice as it is in hospital. This means that trainees may have one weeks sickness absence in any period of six months. Any additional sickness absence must be made up in full but need not necessarily be in the the specialty or post where the absence occured.
How do I apply for study leave?
* We would encourage you to plan your study well in advance.
* You are normally entitled to two weeks study leave per year.
* All study leave requests must in the first instance be agreed by your current educational supervisor. Get your study leave forms signed by the educational supervisor. Then fill in the application forms for the course you wish to attend.
* It is important to ensure that your service commitments can be covered.
* The forms are available on this website (under downloadable forms section on the home page) and from our administrator (Vicky Baxter).
* Any other queries, talk to Dr. Nick Price (Programme Director with lead responsibility in this area)
How do I get hold of the GP freebie magazines like Pulse, GP and Doctor?
To get the magazines delivered to your home, write off to one of the following:
* Medical Mailing Company, Rectory Place, Loughborough LE11 1TW or phone them on 0800 626 387. They can supply you with Pulse, Doctor and GP.
* Miller Freeman Publishers Ltd. Sovereign Way Tonbridge Kent TN9 1RW United Kingdom TEL: 01732-364422
There is an excellent guidelines book which is updated every 6 months. You need to subscribe to get it, but they do have a website too. The book is called "Guidelines" and is published by Medendium. Most practices get a free copy of this and so you might just take a look at it there first.