Study Leave
Health Education Yorkshire & The Humber and the GP School study leave policy documents are available via the following links:
www.yorksandhumberdeanery.nhs.uk/pgmde/policies/curriculum_delivery/study_leavecurriculum_delivery/
www.yorksandhumberdeanery.nhs.uk/general_practice/trainees/gp_school_policies_and_organisation/
You are entitled to 30 days study leave per year (10 days during a 4 months post or 15 days during a 6 month post). Some of this time is already allocated to attending the GPSTP teaching sessions as the half/full day release teaching which counts as part of the study leave and takes priority over other study leave requests. Scroll down this page for information on study leave for LTFT trainees.
Please see the GPSTP Study Leave Policy and Request Form available via the link below:
Courses
If unsure, please check with the GPSTP Office that the course is approved by the scheme. Study leave requests should be submitted to your GP Trainer and your Educational Supervisor for authorisation before submitting to the office (note e-mail authorisation is acceptable from your ES).
Expense reimbursement forms can only be completed for study leave applications that have been approved by the GPSTP office. No claims will be approved if a study leave application is not submitted. All claims should be accompanied by original receipt and signed Study Leave Request Form.
It may be possible to negotiate time to attend hospital out-patient sessions (eg. ENT, eyes, skin), but this is at the discretion of your trainer and will depend on amount of other study leave requested.
Note that you may have difficulty getting study leave approved for a course out of the area if a similar course is held in the Yorkshire & The Humber region.
If you do not attend a course your expenses will not be reimbursed. If you cancel your place and incur cancellation charges these will not be refunded by the scheme.
The study leave budget for all GP trainees is administered by the GPSTP Office.
It is essential that you apply to the specialty clinical tutor for any study leave as early as possible, even before you take up the post if possible, since it will be granted only if there is sufficient other cover for service commitments. Study leave should be used for any course which will help you in your future career as a GP: it does not have to relate to the specialty you happen to be working in. However it does make sense to arrange (for instance) family planning theory or practice sessions during obstetrics and gynaecology, since it will fit well with the subject you are already studying.
In addition to requesting study leave from the department, trainees must also complete and submit a study leave request form to the GPSTP Office - please refer to the Study Leave Guidance document in the Downloads section opposite.
If you do not attend a course your expenses will not be reimbursed. If you cancel your place and incur cancellation charges these will not be refunded by the scheme.
Study leave:
- is a right not a privilege, but service provision always take priority
- needs careful planning well in advance (difficult to claim expenses retrospectively)
- Collect forms from personnel, attach official details of course exam
- Liaise with colleagues on rota re cover arrangements and time off - NB your rota should have been devised to enable you to attend GPSTP sessions. If changes to the rota made by you prevent you from attending GPSTP sessions, your training may be at risk.
- Complete forms and present to consultant with watertight reasons for benefit of study leave to you and potentially to the department
- Keep a copy of all correspondence
- Book as early as possible (preferably before starting in post) as otherwise career doctors may get priority.
- If study leave is approved then you are entitled to reimbursement of course fees and travel and subsistence for the course you attend.
The scheme acknowledges that it is not generally helpful to the individual or the group for less than full time (LTFT) trainees to join a first GP teaching group part way through the year. LTFT ST1 GP placements last 12 months, therefore we aim to ensure that each LTFT trainee will have a full 6 months of participation in a first GP group starting either in August or February. Please discuss with the Scheme Coordinators if you are not sure when you will join a group. The time on Thursday afternoons prior to you joining the group, or after completing the 6 months, can then be re-allocated to attend hospital group teaching, or other study time, or your timetable may be adjusted.
LTFT trainees in hospital posts are encouraged to attend the hospital day release for the same proportion of sessions attended by full time trainees in the same specialty. If you have been in the group for more than 2 years it may be appropriate to discuss further attendance with your educational supervisor and the Programme Directors running the hospital group and plan alternative educational activity.
For final ST3 GP groups, which run for 12 months from August of each year, it may be appropriate for a LTFT trainee to discuss yourplanned attendance and needs with the the GPSTP Coordinators, your GP trainer and educational supervisor, but you may well want to be attend the group teaching for all of your final post.
The GPSTP is responsible for study leave funding for GP trainees in both GP and hospital training posts. We aim to fully support people's education as much as possible, however there is a limited amount of funding available. Priority for funding will always be given to courses directly relevant to your GP training - refer to the Study Leave Guidance document in the Downloads section opposite for full details
Travel and subsistence will be paid at NHS rates, all claims must be accompanied by relevant receipts;
For activities of 5-10 hours duration, meals are reimbursed up to a maximum of £5.00
For activities of over 10 hours duration, meals are reimbursed up to a maximum of £15.00
For overnight accommodation outside of London, the overnight rate should not exceed £120 per night.
For overnight accommodation within London, the overnight rate should not exceed £150 per night.
Travel by rail is reimbursed at the 2nd class fare rate. Tickets must be booked well in advance to obtain the best price fare. If tickets are purchased near to the date of travel and these are more expensive the full ticket price may not be refunded. Tickets must be sent in with the claim form.
Travel by private care is reimbursed at 24p per mile. An additional 5p per mile can be reimbursed for colleagues attending the same event and travelling in your car as a passenger.
Please note claims for newspapers, alcoholic drinks, telephone calls and other personal expenditure will not be reimbursed and are the responsibility of the individual.
Private study leave can only be given in exceptional circumstances e.g. immediately before an exam, no more than 2 days can be approved before an exam, with no more than 3 days of private study leave in total being approved in a training year. You must apply for private study leave to the GPSTP office on a study leave application form - please see the Study Leave Guidance document in the Downloads section opposite for full details.