Trainee information

OOP acting up

Acting-Up’ into a consultant post can only be undertaken by doctors in training in the final year of their training programmes and completed before the award of their CCT. The maximum period of ‘Acting Up’ is three months (pro rata for LTFT doctors in training) and normally only one period of ‘Acting-Up’ will be given approval.*

The term “Acting Up” should be applied and not locum. Doctors in training undertaking ‘Acting Up’ roles must have a named educational supervisor for the duration of the ‘Acting Up’ period. The ‘Acting Up’ post must be within the United Kingdom.

Doctors in training benefit from Acting Up in Consultant posts. The post should be a vacant funded consultant post which offers the doctor in training genuine consultant level experience while still retaining supervision.

Doctors in training must have the support of their Programme Director (TPD), the unit where their training post is based at the time of the acting up, and the unit in which they would be acting up, including identifying a named supervisor. Doctors in training will retain their NTN whilst undertaking the ‘Acting Up’ post.

If the “Acting Up” post is not explicitly allowed by College/Faculty (either included in curriculum or within College/Faculty guidance) but is to be counted towards CCT, an online application needs to be completed via Turas for approval.
For specialties that allow acting up experience within training (either included in curriculum or within College/Faculty guidance) the following process should be followed
Doctors in training may only Act Up with the prior written agreement and online approval of the Programme Director and Postgraduate Dean/nominated Deputy responsible for their training
Doctors in training continuing in Acting Up post which extends post CCT date must advise the Deanery and will be relinquishing the period of grace; after CCT the role would change to Locum Consultant
Doctors in training who wish to take up a Locum consultant post whilst in their period of grace will be required to resign from their NTN, with sufficient advanced warning aligned to their T&C contract.

Information required for Acting Up requests – please include

title and location of post with detail as to the benefits to your training
description of educational and clinical supervision
evidence of approval from clinical lead of your current placement (if Acting Up post is in another department or Health Board)
agreement from the clinical lead of the acting up placement that a funded vacant consultant post is available

Timelines for Acting Up requests

To ensure that arrangements can be put in place to support your Acting Up placement and to support the doctors in training in the programme, the Postgraduate Dean/Nominated Deputy and Directors of Medical Education have agreed that:

If the Acting Up post is within the same Health Board, the Acting Up request must be received by the Lead Dean/Director at least 2 weeks before the start date.

If the Acting Up post is within a different Health Board, the Acting Up request must be received by the Lead Dean/Director at least 4 weeks before the start date.

Clarification of difference between acting-as and acting-up

	Acting-as	Acting-up
Fully immersive and doing everything a consultant would do– and stepping into a vacant consultant post	no	yes
Has named clinical supervisor	yes	yes
Needs OOPT approval	no	yes
Expected duties if has demonstrated the requisite competence	Can be ‘entrusted’ to take on individual components of a consultant role eg leading a clinic or leading a ward round or leading a post-receiving ward round, etc. Over a period, a variety of activities might be undertaken, but not assuming all of the roles of a consultant all of the time on a continuing basis.	100% of the roles and responsibilities of a consultant, all of the time (essentially what would be done as a locum other than that there must be a named clinical supervisor for the trainee in this role)
Which rota is trainee on	Trainee rota	Consultant rota

This page was last updated on: 22.11.2024 at 16.10