Workforce, training and education
Yorkshire and Humber

Study Leave
for Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists in Training

This page offers an overview of Study Leave and Accent Leave Manager. Please also refer to the Frequently Asked Questions the ALM Applicant User Guide for more information and help. Please ensure that you read the relevant information on the website before contacting the NHSE study leave team.


Overview of Study Leave


Introduction

Study leave exists to enable doctors and dentists in training to acheive the requirements of their specialty curriculum. Discretionary study leave may also be approved for activities that promote enhanced medical knowledge or support patient care or personsal development. Doctors and dentists in training are responsible for familarising themselves with the study leave policy and guidance (including any trust, school or specialty specific guidance) and for ensuring that they follow the study leave process.

Doctors and dentists in training must apply for study leave in advance of any course, conference or other study leave activity they intend to undertake. This includes mandatory teaching. Study leave must be approved by the Rota Coordinator, Educational Supervisor (or equivilent supervisor), and Training Programme Director. Applications for TPD / Medical Education approval are submitted using Accent Leave Manager (ALM). More information about the approval process and ALM can be found on these pages.

Study Leave Entitlements

Foundation Year 1 doctors are entitled to 15 days study leave per year. All other doctors and dentists in training from Foundation Year 2 on are entitled to 30 days study leave per year. The entitlement for LTFT doctors and dentists is pro rata based on their WTE %.

The study leave entitlement includes allocations for regional teaching / half-day release and private study leave for exam preperation. For more detailed information see the operational guidance below or refer to your school's study leave guidance.

Study Leave Budgets

Individual study budgets no longer apply. TPD approvers will evaluate the educational appropriateness, quality and value for money of any external course/conference for which you apply. Doctors and dentists in training should choose suitable local courses where available and should choose the most cost effective means when planning their attendance. The 'budget' on ALM records the total estimated and claimed expenses for your study leave applications within the financial year. 


Policy and Guidance

The NHS England approach to study leave is set out in the PDF national study leave policy, which provides a strategic overview of the study leave process, approval principles and finance management. The policy was developed by the Study Leave Working Group with trainee representatives.

The Health Education Yorkshire and the Humber PDF study leave operational guidance details the local NHSE study leave guidance and covers the process for applications and claiming expenses, as well as guidance about discretionary, international and private study leave.

Doctors and dentists in training are strongly advised to familarise themselves with the policy and guidance documents before applying for study leave. TPD and Medical Education approvers are also encouraged to the guidance when approving study leave.


Appeals Process

The Study Leave Appeals Process is outlined on the national website. A copy of the Study Leave Appeal Form can also be downloaded from the national website. Applicants are encouraged to read the appeals process and the study leave policy if considering an appeal. Completed appeals forms must be submitted to the local NHSE Study Leave team for consideration by the Postgraduate Dean (or Deputy Dean). If an applicant disagrees with a decision about study leave, they should in the first instance contact the original approver who refused the application to request an explanation / review. Appeals must be submitted within four weeks of the date that the origional decision to refuse study leave was communicated. Appeals received outside this window will not be be processed.


Types of Study Leave

Further to the curriculum and discretionary study leave entitlements, study leave is divided into four types. Study, exam, private, and international. Please note the descriptions below and carefully select the right leave type when submitting your application.

Study - All curriculum or discretionary courses / conferences / activity not covered by one of the other leave types below.
Exam - Exam preparation courses and exam sittings. Please note: Exam fees may not be funded through study leave. 
Private - Home based revision / exam preparation before an exam sitting. Expenses may not be claimed for private study leave. 
International - Courses / conferences taking place outside of the UK. This includes online/virtual events.

   
If you are planning multiple activities in preparation for an exam, you must take care to apply for each activity seperately under the correct leave type. eg An exam preparation course, private exam preparation, and the exam sitting will each require a separate application.

Professional Leave

Professional leave is separate to study leave and professional leave requests should not be submitted on ALM. Professional leave is managed locally by the trust. For more information about professional leave and how to request it, please refer to the policy for your employing trust.

Professional leave is leave in relation to professional work. Professional work Professional work is work done outside of the requirements of the curriculum and or the employer/host organisation for professional bodies such as Royal Colleges, Faculties or the GMC/GDC.


Academic doctors / dentists

Academic doctors and dentists in training have equitable access to specialty study leave funding and can apply for study leave via ALM for study leave related to their specialty training curriculum. Study leave related to academic research that is additional to the achivement of specialty curriculum requirements cannot be funded by the NHSE study leave budget but through the funding body for the doctor's academic research (eg the University).

As with other doctors in training, study leave expenses will normally be claimed via the employing trust. If you are not employed by a trust, please contact the NHSE study leave team for guidance.


Out of Programme doctors / dentists

According to the Study Leave policy, doctors and dentists on OOP are not eligible for study leave, except for OOPT (Training). In exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Postgraduate Dean, study leave funding during other OOP types may be considered for curriculum-based activity. Consquently, study leave applications from doctors and dentists on other OOP types will only be facilitated where they have Head of School/Postgraduate Dean support.

The home region is responsible for approving requests and for funding study leave for doctors and dentists on OOP. If you are on OOP within Yorkshire and the Humber, but your home region is elsewhere, you will need to contact your home region for information about how to apply for study leave: NHSE PGMDE teams.

If your home region is Yorkshire and the Humber and you are on OOP within or outside the region, please contact the Yorkshire and the Humber Study Leave leave for assistance. Please note: Funding for courses related to employment requirements, should be funded by the employing trust. Please contact the trust for information about trust funding.


Accent Leave Manager

All study leave applications from doctors in training within Yorkshire and the Humber must be submitted using Accent Leave Manager (ALM). Applications must be submitted in advance of the event for approval by your Training Programme Director or Medical Education.

Accent Leave Manager

ALM accounts for doctors and dentists in training are automatically created 8 weeks before the programme start date. If you have not received the account activation email, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions. For application instructions, please see the Applicant User Guide.

Go to Accent Leave Manager

Please note: ALM is not optimised for mobile devices. Please use a desktop/laptop computer and Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari when accessing ALM.

   
Support Contacts for ALM and Study Leave can be found at the bottom of this page. Before contacting us, please ensure that you have checked the Applicant User Guide and the Frequently Asked Questions.


Before Applying

Before submitting your application on ALM, rota coordinator approval for the time off must be requested using the local trust process / e-roster. Supervisor approval for the educational appropriateness of the course/conference must also be given before an application is submitted on ALM. This may be discussed as part of PDP planning or later and documented as appropriate on your e-portfolio.

Please note: Rota coordinator approval must normally be requested at least eight weeks before the event. Request received within the 8 week notice period, will be considered at the discretion of the trust.


Applying for Study Leave

Once Rota Coordinator and Supervisor approval have been confirmed, a Study Leave application may be submitted on ALM for final Training Programme Director approval. Alternatively, where a course/conference is pre-approved by the PGMDE school, the application will be routed in ALM to Medical Education for approval.

Please note: If you intend to claim expenses for the course/conference, estimated expenses must be added to your application before it is submitted. Expenses cannot be added after an application has been submitted.

  
For instructions on how to complete an application in ALM, please see the Applicant User Guide. For further information or if you encounter an error when completing your application, please see the Frequently Asked Questions.


Cancelling Study Leave

If you are not able to attend a course/conference for which you have applied or the event has been cancelled, please cancel the related study leave application on ALM. Cancelling the application helps to ensure that your entitlement days and budget are record correctly. For instructions on how to cancel an application, please see the Applicant User Guide.


Claiming Expenses

While study leave applications are now submitted using Accent, reimbursement continues to be through the local trust expenses system. Expense systems vary depending on the employing trust, please contact Medical Education at your employing trust for information about or assistance using the trust expenses system. 

Please note: Expense claims may only be submitted after the course/conference and must be submitted within 6 weeks of the event. Late claims are considered at the discretion of the trust. Evidence of attendance and receipts must be included with expense claims.

  
Expense claims will only be reimbursed if a Study Leave application with estimated expenses was submitted on ALM and approved in advance of the event. Evidence of attendance and appropriate receipts must be included with expense claims. Accomodation, travel and subsistence expenses will will only be authorised within the nationally agreed allowances:

Study Leave Allowances

Accommodation (if required): Upto £120 per night outside London and upto £150 within London for single occupancy only. Where shared occupancy is required, only 50% of the costs will be refunded.
Milage: 30p per mile, when travelling in own car and calculated using the most direct route between base hospital and destination.
Public transport: Only standard class tickets may be reimbursed. Applicants should select the cheapest ticket options available.
Meals: Upto £5 lunch allowance. Upto £15 evening meal allowance where overnight accommodation is required.

Please note: Conference dinners and social events may not be reimbursed under meal expenses or with the conference fees. Membership fees paid when booking course / conferences are also not eligible for reimbusement.

Unless otherwise stated, study leave allowances reflect the NHS Terms & Conditions of Service.

   
More detailed guidance for study leave expenses, including eligible expenses and amounts, is available in the Operational Study Leave Guidance.


Frequently Asked Questions

For help with common questions and issues including, budgets & entitlements, account activation, and errors, please see the Frequently Asked Questions page:


Information for Approvers

Further information for approvers, including the approver user guide, is available on the approver guidance page:


Support Contacts

For assistance using ALM or claiming expenses, please contact the Medical Education Centre at your employing trust. Medical Education contacts are listed below. Alternatively, please see the trust directory.

To follow-up outstanding approvals, please email the approver in the first instance. Please allow approvers 14 days to approve/decline your application before emailing. If you do not receive a reply, please contact Medical Education or the NHSE Study Leave team.

For technical support, feedback or guidance, please contact the NHSE Study Leave team at england.studyleave.yh@nhs.net. Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions and Applicant User Guide before contacting the NHSE Study Leave team.

When emailing for support, please ensure that you include your GMC/GDC Number, and the start/end dates and course / conference name for your planned study leave. If you are emailing about a system error, please include the text of the error message and or a screenshot. Please also include the date and time that you encountered the error.
 

Medical Education Contacts
Employing Trust Study Leave Contact
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS FT StudyLeave@bthft.nhs.uk
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS FT StudyLeave@cht.nhs.uk
Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS FT DBTH.MedicalEducation@nhs.net
Harrogate and District NHS FT HDFT.Strayside.Education@nhs.net
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHST - Foundation Y2: hyp-tr.Foundation.Year2@nhs.net
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHST - Specialty Training: hyp-tr.jdStudy.Leave@nhs.net
Humber Teaching NHS FT hnf-tr.MedicalEducation@nhs.net
Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust l.wilson11@nhs.net or sarah.smith268@nhs.net
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust StudyLeave.LTHT@nhs.net
Leeds and York Partnership NHS FT MedicalEducationLYPFT@nhs.net
Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHST - Foundation: Jane.Farrar@nhs.net or Sue.Newbound@nhs.net
Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHST - General Practice: Craig.Smith28@nhs.net
Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHST - Specialty Training: Michelle.Gilbert3@nhs.net
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS FT nlg-tr.twpgmecontact@nhs.net
Sheffield Children's Hospital NHS FT scn-tr.MedicalEducation@nhs.net
Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS FT MedEd.Dept@shsc.nhs.uk
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS FT Lesley.Izzard1@nhs.net
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS FT - York: yhs-tr.MECyork@nhs.net
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS FT - Scarborough: yhs-tr.PGME.Scarborough@nhs.net
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS FT - General Practice: Caroline.Siddle3@nhs.net

   

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