As TPD you will be asked to provide rotational details well in advance of changeover dates and often before the annual ARCP cycle is complete for all trainees. The reasons for this are detailed below. All the stakeholders in this process understand that unforeseen circumstances will result in changes to allocations but we are required to meet our deadlines and in practical terms the employing Boards have assured us that getting the information on time and accommodating later changes is preferable to having a delay. The dates relating to the national recruitment process and rotations are published annually.
Legal Framework
As per CEL 10 (2014) Code of Practice – Provision of Information for Postgraduate Medical Training, NES is, responsible for providing doctors in training and employers with details of future placements within training programmes within specific timescales. The Deanery Training Management Teams look to the Training Programme Directors to provide these rotational details, which should normally be provided to the employers at least 8 weeks before the doctor in training moves/rotates with the aspiration of at least 12 weeks before rotation. Following recruitment, the timescale is normally a minimum of 6 weeks prior to the start of the first post within a rotation, with the aim to deliver this within 8 weeks.
Practical implications
Meeting deadlines for communicating rotational information and issuing paperwork allow the circulation of paperwork from Boards to trainees. A delay in receiving rotational information will have the following implications for trainees and the recruitment process, and put patients at risk:
1. The medical staffing teams will not be able to tell the trainee where s/he is to be based:
a. The trainee won’t be issued with an offer letter which will hold back applications for accommodation, bank accounts etc .
b. S/he won’t be able to look for accommodation.
2. The pre-employment paperwork will be sent to the trainee late:
a. The trainee may be on holiday (esp. as this process takes place in July and August) which will hold the process up further.
3. The paperwork will be sent to Disclosure Scotland late:
a. Trainee may not be cleared in time to take up post in August placing patients at risk.
b. Does not leave enough time to manage problems with the form e.g. lost in post or incorrectly completed.
4. The paperwork will be sent to OHS late:
a. There may not be enough time for the trainee to attend an appointment which can delay the date of commencement.
5. Application for Tier 2 sponsorship may be delayed:
a. The trainee’s start date may be delayed as there may not be enough time for them to have their visa application processed, and for their new visa to arrive.
6. All checks may not have been completed at changeover/start date:
a. A risk assessment may have to be carried out – this is inconvenient and time consuming for the consultants/manager in the service area concerned.
b. If risk assessment not possible the trainee will not be able to commence work.
7. A delayed start date will have service implications and may have a negative effect on the individual’s training.
This page was last updated on: 15.06.2018 at 10.58
