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.
Go to the Frequently Asked Questions or the ALM Applicant User Guide.
Overview of Study Leave
- Introduction
- Policy and Guidance
- Approval process
- Appeals Process
- Types of Study Leave
- Academic doctors / dentists
- Out of Programme doctors / dentists
- Accent Leave Manager
- ALM Applicant User Guide
- Claiming expenses
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Information for Approvers
- Support Contacts
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 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.
Our Yorkshire and the Humber study leave operational guidance sets out the local NHSE study leave guidance and covers the process for applications and claiming expenses.
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 refer to the guidance when approving study leave.
National Study Leave Policy | 
Study Budget Reforms Local YH Study Leave Operational Guidance Local YH Foundation Study Leave Guidance Local YH School of Surgery Study Leave GuidanceApproval process
Before submitting a study leave application on Accent Leave Manager, applicants must secure Rota Coordinator agreement for the time off and Educational Supervisor support for the educational appropriateness of the course/conference. Rota Coordinator agreement must be requested 8 weeks before the event using the local trust e-roster / process. Educational Supervisor support should be discussed as part of PDP planning and documented in the applicant's e-portfolio.
Once Rota Coordinator and Educational Supervisor support 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 to Medical Education for approval.
Study leave applications must be submitted on ALM in advance of the course/conference. If the applicant intends to claim expenses after the event, estimated expenses must be included on the ALM application. Applicants should wait for approval before making any payments. If an applicant chooses to pay for a course/conference prior to requesting or receiving approval, they risk incurring costs which may not be reimbursed.
Final expense claims are submitted after the event using the employing trust's e-expenses or process and are authorised by Medical Education. Expense claims must be submitted within 6 weeks of the event. Claims must be accompanied by receipts and evidence of attendance. Claims will only be reimbursed in line with the nationally agreed rates for subsistence and travel.
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.
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 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 achievement of specialty curriculum requirements cannot be funded by the NHSE study leave budget and should be funded by 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 are created automatically. You should receive an activation email 12 weeks before the programme start date. If you have not received this or for more information, please see: How to activate your account | ALM Applicant User Guide.
For application instructions, please see the ALM Applicant User Guide.
Please note: ALM is not optimised for mobile devices. Please use a desktop/laptop computer and Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari when accessing ALM.
ALM Applicant User Guide
For help using Accent Leave Manager, including activating and managing your account, please see the ALM Applicant User Guide:
Go to the ALM 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. Unless otherwise stated, study leave allowances reflect the NHS Terms & Conditions of Service.
Study Leave Allowances
Accommodation (if required): Single occupancy only. Up to £120 per night outside London | Up to £150 per night within London. Where shared occupancy is required, only 50% of the costs will be reimbursed.
Non-Commerical Accomodation (staying with a friend or relative): £25 per night which includes the evening meal allowance.
Milage: 30p per mile, when travelling in own car and calculated using the most direct route between base hospital* and destination. Tunnel and bridge tolls may be reimbursed if receipts are provided. Parking at the destination will normally be reimbursed.
*For study leave purposes, the base hospital is the placement site or 'primary place of work'.
Public transport: Only standard class tickets may be reimbursed. Applicants should select the cheapest ticket options available.
Meals: Up to £5 lunch allowance. Up to £15 evening meal allowance where overnight accommodation is required. The maxium meal allowance is £20 in a 24 hour period.
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.
International Leave
For international leave, either the full cost of the course/conference fees or the cost of economy travel and accommodation may be approved, whichever is the lower amount. If the course/conference fee is waived by the course provider, funding for the cost of economy travel and accommodation may be considered.
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:
Go to the Frequently Asked Questions page
Information for Approvers
Further information for approvers, including the approver user guide, is available on the approver guidance page:
Go to the ALM Approver User Guide or ALM Trust User Guide
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 | Rachel.Titterton@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: | england.gpstudyleave.yh@nhs.net |