Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP)

Towards the end of the F1 and F2 years, the local Foundation Training Programme Director (FTPD) & Foundation School will hold an Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) panel where the progress of all local foundation doctors will be reviewed.  The panel looks at evidence, including from the e-portfolio, assessments & SLEs, and supervisors' reports, in order to decide if the trainee has satisfactorily completed that level of training or to recommend what further training or support may be needed.  Local foundation administrators will have further information about ARCP arrangements in each area.

ARCP panels generally consist of at least three panel members made up from the following: Training Programme Directors, Foundation School Director, Deputy Foundation School Director, Associate Deans and on occasion a lay representative etc. YHFS are expected to provide lay representation for 10% of all YHFS trainee ARCPs. We will select a number of trusts each year to host lay reps for ARCPs.

All doctors are required to take part in the revalidation process.  Information about revalidation is available on the Revalidation section of the main HEE YH site.

If trainees have had a prolonged period of sickness or absence for another reason, the ARCP panel may decide that they need to extend their training. Further information regarding absence during your Foundation Programme can be found on the GMC website.

The minimum requirements for satisfactory completion of FY1 and FY2 can be found in the Foundation Operational Guide here on the UKFPO website:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/curriculum/

There is also a further information here, https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/curriculum/assessments/ & https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/curriculum/arcp/, and on Horus.

We have also included YHFS “best practice” checklists below. These are not mandatory, but are suggested topics of good practice that foundation trainees should consider.

Foundation training guidance is now part of the merged gold guide (ed 8, https://www.copmed.org.uk/gold-guide-8th-edition/). This change, in 2020, was to incorporate Foundation guidance with all post graduate training. While Covid derogations have mitigated against some of these changes, the YH ARCP team have produced a local SOP (attached below), to implement the changes required for all schools including Foundation. There are other drivers for change arising from trainees and National training metrics (GMC NTS and NETS).

Listed below are the potential Foundation ARCP Outcomes:

Outcome 1 - Satisfactory progress – achieving progress and the development of competences at the expected rate (expected outcome at end of F1)

Outcome 3 - Inadequate progress – additional training time required

Outcome 4 - Released from the training programme with or without specified competencies

Outcome 5 - Incomplete evidence presented – additional training time may be required

Outcome 6 - Gained all required competencies – will be recommended as having completed the Foundation training programme (expected outcome at end of F2)

Outcome 8 - Out of Programme (OOP) e.g. for experience or a career break

NB: Outcome 2 is not available for FP training as per the national process outlined in the UKFPO Reference Guide