Study Leave – Aspirational Activity

Having now received several applications for funding beyond the £600 limit or for “aspirational” study leave, I have to remind you all of the following.

  1. Funding will only be granted when applied for prospectively
    1. So far the majority of requests I have received have been for courses already attended. I have been lenient up to now, as you all are getting used to new rules.
    2. This is the second e-mail I have sent to you all so none of you can claim “ignorance” on this process and future retrospective requests will simple be bounced back to you, declined.
  2. You need to have discussed the proposed course / conference etc. with your AES and to have documented this discussion in your ISCP under “Personal Development Plan” – PDP – prior to applying to HEEoE for funding
    1. This needs to detail why you think this is a good thing to do at your stage, and why you cannot gain the same benefit from courses offered in-region
    2. The AES comments will help steer me in decision making
    3. You can apply for part-funding if you recognise that some of the material is offered in-region but there still remains value to you for attending
    4. The subtext (from HEEoE) is that TPDs keep a log of such requests for the expensive courses and try to develop local delivery, so that trainees can keep their training in-region – it may be better for us to spend £1200 on a 2-day course open to all of you than for 1 of you to attend e.g. AO course in Paeds etc.
    5. I will check your ISCP log – so make sure the PDP entry is easy to find and detailed enough
  3. You need to have the dates for the course agreed and accepted before applying for funding.
    1. You might be surprised – especially around October changeover – to learn that people assume their new Trust will be able to accommodate all requests for leave, even if made with less than 8 weeks’ notice. One of your colleagues fell foul of this in Oct 2018. 

                                                               i.      Get organised and find out the process in your new Trust if the course is to take place on or after October.

                                                             ii.      Call one of the SpRs in the new Trust, as they will probably be the best source of information on this (not medical staffing and sometimes not the PGMC)

                                                           iii.      The Deanery is unlikely to reimburse you for the course fee if you cannot attend because of moving Trusts and dates clashes with other trainees. In such a case, you might have to fund the course yourself, and not attend!!!

  1. Most course dates are well-known months in advance.

                                                               i.      Make the arrangements to ensure you get the time off first

                                                             ii.      Discuss your plans with your AES

                                                           iii.      Submit your study leave form to local PGMC

                                                           iv.      If “aspirational” or expensive, submit your HEE form to me

Hope all of this is clear

Best

Phil J