Less Than Full Time Training

NHS England , working across Yorkshire and Humber (NHSE YH) offers support to all Postgraduate Doctors in Training (PGDiTs) who, for well-founded individual reasons, wish to be considered for Less than Full-time Training (LTFT). The key aims of LTFT training are:

• To retain doctors within the NHS workforce who are unable to train on a full-time basis  

• To promote career development and work/life balance for doctors training within the NHS  

• To ensure continued training in programmes on a time-equivalent (pro rata) basis

• To maintain a balance in LTFT arrangements with regards to educational needs and those of the service  

New LTFT Process from 1st March 2023

NHS England have refreshed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on LTFT arrangements to ensure greater flexibility for Doctors in Training.  This work has been part of the Enhancing Junior Doctors Working Lives aligns closely to Gold Guide 9th Edition. 

A regional project group of NHS England managers and administrators, Trust representatives and Postgraduate Doctors in Training (with input from Heads of Schools and Training Programme Directors) have worked on a local process that aligns to the overarching NHS England LTFT Standard Operating Procedure. 

The high-level changes to the process are detailed below. Please read the SOP and the guidance documents attached which will be added to our website by 1st March.     

• Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists in Training will meet with their TPDs prior to submitting their application 

• Traditional categories are removed, anyone can consider LTFT 

• Trusts are consulted with on applications that have less than 12-weeks' notice 

• Ros Roden, (Professional Support Clinical Lead) will be the LTFT lead 

• LTFT East, South and West inboxes will cease to exist, applications will be managed by the School Programme Support Teams 

• All the documentation has been updated and will be added to the website on 1st March 

• There will be one form in use across the Deanery 

• Everyone will follow the same process irrespective of School (e.g specialty or Foundation), profession (e.g. Medical or Dental) 

The new policy will come into effect on 1st March 2023. Any new applications to work LTFT received on or after the 1st March should follow the new process and should be submitted on the new application form. Any applications currently part-way through the process will complete under the previous arrangements. 

The process will be reviewed by our project team in July 2023, and we will be contacting Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists in Training, Trusts and Faculty for feedback as part of this review.