Introduction
In 2018 the Royal College of Psychiatrists launched the Foundation Fellowship scheme. This section provides guidance about the recruitment and selection process for Psychiatry Foundation Fellowship (PFF) Programmes. Please also see the UKFPO website for further guidance:
https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/programmes/2-year-foundation-programm...
Background
The programme aims to improve exposure to the specialty and ensure that foundation doctors are supported in their interest in psychiatry throughout the programme, maintaining and enhancing their enthusiasm for the specialty. This is especially important for those who may have limited opportunity to explore their interest via a clinical placement. The aim of the scheme is to identify medical students who have expressed an interest in psychiatry as a potential career choice and to support them through to application for specialty training. As well as having access to educational opportunities relevant to psychiatry e.g., funded attendance at relevant conferences, on-line learning and psychiatry journals, trainees will also access psychiatric supervision and be able to attend reflective Balint groups. The aim is to introduce a strong emphasis on the psychological aspects of medicine throughout foundation training to enhance the educational opportunities afforded in non-psychiatric rotations for those keen to develop expertise in this area. Fellows may also choose to be linked to college faculties to provide additional mentoring in a potential subspecialty (e.g., child and adolescent, perinatal etc). Psychiatry supervisors will deliver psychiatric supervision which will run on a longitudinal basis throughout the two-year programme.
Aims
The Psychiatry Foundation Fellowship programme aims to improve exposure to the specialty for foundation trainees. The scheme will ensure that a greater number of Foundation Doctors are supported in their interest in Psychiatry throughout the Foundation programme, maintaining and enhancing their enthusiasm for the specialty. This is especially important for those who may have limited opportunity to explore their interest via a clinical placement. Psychiatry has faced challenge historically in recruiting to Core Training posts. The aim of the scheme is to identify medical students with above average academic ability who have expressed an interest in psychiatry as a potential career choice and to support them through to application for specialty training. The Fellowship will last for the duration of the foundation programme i.e., two years. During this time, they will be supported through the Foundation Programme and into Core Training.
You MUST apply for Foundation Programme (FP) before applying to Psychiatry Foundation Fellowship (PFF) or Foundation Priority Programme (FPP)
Following the publication of Health Education England’s (HEE) Foundation Review, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, in collaboration with the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) seek to appoint Psychiatry Foundation Fellowship (PFF) Programmes across England. The fellowships will last for the duration of the foundation programme, i.e., two years. During this time, trainees will be supported through the Foundation Programme and into Core Training.
Offers for these posts will be made as part of the national allocation to foundation schools for standard Foundation Programmes (FP). Detailed information can be found on the UKFPO website. PFF posts are also highlighted on the YHFS Foundation Programme vacancy information.
Please note, England and Wales will be using the process detailed on the UKFPO website, Scotland will include PFF posts as part of the FPP process and Northern Ireland have opted out.
Offers
The UKFPO will manage the offers process centrally. Offers will be made sequentially for the recruitment to these new posts to align with the national accepted business process: 1) SFP, 2) FPP, 3) PFF and 4) FP.
Applicants who accept an offer for SFP, FPP or PFF will be withdrawn and the FP process.
Any unfilled Psychiatry Fellowship posts will be transferred across to the FP vacancy for inclusion in the national allocation process for standard FP places.
Timeline
Please check the UKFPO website for the timeline for PFF applications.
https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/programmes/2-year-foundation-programm...
The application window for these posts will be consistent with the timeline for all other foundation applications.
YHFS have chosen the following 4 programmes to be offered as PFFs. These are included in the FP vacancy.
| PFF-WY183 | WY 2 Year Foundation programme F1 Bradford / F2 C & H (Psychiatry Fellowship) | FY1 | General (Internal) Medicine - Geriatric Medicine | General Psychiatry | General Surgery |
| PFF - SY067 | SY 2 Year foundation Programme F1 Sheffield / F2 Doncaster (Psychiatric Fellowship) | FY1 | General Psychiatric Adult Inpatient | General Surgery Vascular | General (Internal) Medicine - E&D |
| PFF - EY071 | EY 2 Year Foundation Programme F1 Hull / F2 Scunthorpe (Psychiatric Fellowship) | FY1 | General Psychiatry | Geriatric Medicine | General Surgery Upper GI Surgery |
| PFF - EY079 | EY 2 Year Foundation Programme F1 Hull / F2 Hull (Psychiatric Fellowship) | FY1 | General Surgery - Colorectal | General Psychiatry | Geriatric Medicine |
| PFF-WY183 | WY 2 Year Foundation programme F1 Bradford / F2 C & H (Psychiatry Fellowship) | FY2 | Paediatrics | General Surgery UGI | General (Internal) Medicine - Geriatric Medicine / Acute Elderly Medicine |
| PFF - SY067 | SY 2 Year foundation Programme F1 Sheffield / F2 Doncaster (Psychiatric Fellowship) | FY2 | Renal Medicine | Urology | Intensive Care Medicine |
| PFF - EY071 | EY 2 Year Foundation Programme F1 Hull / F2 Scunthorpe (Psychiatric Fellowship) | FY2 | Paediatrics | Emergency Medicine | Rehabilitation Medicine |
| PFF - EY079 | EY 2 Year Foundation Programme F1 Hull / F2 Hull (Psychiatric Fellowship) | FY2 | General Practice | Urology | Emergency Medicine |