Study Leave
for Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists in Training

This page provides information about using Accent Leave Manager for approvers. The page also highlights key aspects of the study leave policy and guidance. Approvers are strongly encouraged to read the policy and guidance alongside this guide.

An applicant user guide for doctors and dentists in training is also available as well as an overview of study leave and frequently asked questions.

ALM Approver User Guide

• Study leave budget
• Policy and guidance
• Approval process
• Curriculum leave
• Regional Teaching and pre-approved courses
• Exam preparation courses
• Discretionary leave
• International leave
• Ineligible activities
• How to activate your account
• How to reset your password
• How to navigate the site
• How to navigate the dashboards
• How to read application forms
  • Leave details
  • Event details
  • Entitlements and budget
  • Cover and authorisation
  • Estimated expenses
  • Leave history
  • Approval chain
• Expense allowances
• What to do if an application needs amendments
• What to do if an application has been routed incorrectly
• What to do if an application needs to be cancelled
• How to set an out office
• How to request support

Study leave budget

Study leave exists to enable doctors and dentists in training to achieve the requirements of their specialty curriculum. Discretionary study leave may also be considered for activities that promote enhanced medical knowledge, personal development or support patient care. While individual study budgets and caps no longer exist, the overall study budget is finite.

Training Programme Directors and Heads of School are responsible for monitoring and evaluating the range of funded activity to ensure that it is fit for purpose and provides quality and value for money. Where programmes provide the necessary training (eg via Regional Teaching) this should be prioritised over external courses. When reviewing study leave applications TPD approvers should consider the educational appropriateness, quality and value for money of any external activities.

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.

The Yorkshire and the Humber study leave operational guidance sets out our local NHSE study leave guidance and covers the process for applications and claiming expenses.

Approvers are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with the policy and guidance documents and also refer to them when reviewing study leave applications.

Guidance documents
 National Study Leave Policy |  Study Budget Reforms
 Local YH Study Leave Operational Guidance
 Local YH Foundation Study Leave Guidance

Developing school guidance

School and specialty study leave guidance may be developed in relation to the national policy and local operational guidance. When updating school guidance please remove any references to individual study budgets or individual caps, as these no longer exist. Please also remove any reference to bursary processes as all study leave funding requests must follow the standard application process and applicants should not be asked to complete any additional forms outside ALM. However, per the policy, applicants should attach a supporting statement to any discretionary or international requests and study leave plans should be captured in the applicant's Personal Development Plan in their e-portfolio.

Specialty study leave guidance should outline:

• Courses and resources available via Regional Teaching and the Deanery
• External courses which may be appropriate for achieving or supporting curriculum requirements
• (Noting that external courses should only be considered where the requirement is not provided via Regional Teaching or the Deanery)
• Principles for evaluating discretionary requests in relation to the specialty

When developing school or specialty guidance, please avoid duplicating information that exists in the national policy and local operational guidance or Deanery study leave website - - this includes the Study Leave Overview, Frequently Asked Questions, ALM Applicant User Guide. Rather, please direct applicants to these sources by linking to them. Copies of the policy and guidance documents are also available on the Study Leave Overview page. TPD approvers can be directed to this page - ALM Approver User Guide.

Process and deadlines

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 and 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. Retrospective applications may considered if there is an exceptional reason and the application is received within 6 weeks of the event. Applications received outside of 6 weeks of the event would not normally be considered.

If the applicant intends to claim expenses after the event, estimated expenses must be included on the ALM application. Final expenses are authorised by Medical Education after the event and will only be reimbursed in line with the nationally agreed rates for subsistence and travel. Claims must be accompanied by receipts and evidence of attendance.

Curriculum leave

NHS England is committed to ensuring that doctors and dentists in training have opportunities to meet their curriculum objectives. Where specialty training programmes provide the necessary training via Regional Teaching, this should be prioritised over external courses. Where external courses are requested, they should be taken as close to the applicant's base as possible. When considering requests for external courses, TPD approvers should consider whether the course is aligned to the curriculum, receives positive feedback from trainees and faculty, and represents quality and value for money.

Regional Teaching and pre-approved courses

Applications for Regional Teaching and pre-approved courses will be routed in ALM to Medical Education for approval. Regional Teaching is a study / clinical skills day organised by the specialty training programme, or a school conference. Applicants may request travel and (if required) subsistence expenses only for attending Regional Teaching. Pre-approved course lists are provided by the specialty school and imported to ALM by the NHSE Study Leave team.

Exam preparation courses

Exam preparation courses may be provided locally by the specialty training programme via Regional Teaching. Such courses should be accessed ahead of private courses as they offer broad support and value for money. Where exam preparation courses are not provided locally via Regional Teaching, one external preparation course or resource per exam would usually be funded. Additional exam preparation courses or activities may be considered in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Head of School. 

Discretionary leave

Activities that are not directly related to the achievement of curricula outcomes are classed as discretionary leave. Discretionary leave refers to career enhancing activity that adds value to the individual and supports the wider system. This may include educational or professional development opportunities that enhance the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the applicants or enhance any aspect of patient care but are not mapped to any direct curriculum requirements. All discretionary activity should be aligned with the applicant's overall career goals and documented in their PDP following discussion with their Educational Supervisor

All requests for discretionary leave should be considered carefully in relation to the applicant's learning needs and what can be accommodated within the overall budget. Discretionary leave may be fully or part funded if appropriate to reflect the applicant's commitment to their improvement.

International leave

Per the study leave policy international study leave is not an entitlement and should only be considered in exceptional circumstances. International leave should only be approved where the learning outcomes from the course/conference are not available in the UK. (Attendance at events organised by joint societies with a UK and Ireland remit is not considered as international leave).

As with discretionary leave, applicants must have a documented discussion with their Educational Supervisor about the international course/conference, including consideration of the requirement for international leave to meet curriculum requirements. Per the policy funding for international leave requires Postgraduate Dean approval, TPD approvers should consult with the Head of School (as the Postgraduate Dean's representative) before approving international leave.

Please note: 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.

Ineligible activities

The following activities are not normally eligible for study leave funding and should not normally be approved:

• Professional leave - Professional activities 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 cannot be supported from the study leave budget and should not be approved via ALM. Applicants should refer to their trust's professional leave policy. Attending interviews for NHS posts and assisting with specialty recruitment centres are also classed as professional leave, and not study leave.
• Clinical placements - Travel and accommodation costs for clinical placements, including placements outside the applicant's employing trust, cannot be reimbursed via study leave. Applicants should be referred to Relocation & Excess Travel to determine eligibility under that policy.
• Academic research - If the applicant is on an academic programme, any study leave activities related to their academic research that is additional to specialty curriculum requirements cannot be funded from the NHSE study leave budget and should be funded by the funding body for the doctor's academic research (eg the University).
• Higher degrees - Postgraduate qualifications are no longer in curricula so would only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Any such applications must be rationalised by a commitment that the qualification will be integral to the postgraduate doctor’s future career.
• Training required for specialty recruitment - Courses that are not required by the applicant's current training programme, but are required by the eligibility/selection criteria for a potential future training programme, should not be supported from the study leave budget.
• Training required by the employing trust - Courses that are required by the applicant's placement/employing trust but are not also a curriculum requirement, cannot be funded from the NHSE study leave budget and should not be approved via ALM. Courses/activities required as part of the applicant's employment, should be funded by the trust. (This includes ALS, ATLS, APLS, NLS where they are not a curriculum requirement for the applicant's stage of training.)
• Courses offered by NHS England/the Deanery - Where a course is offered by NHS England, the Deanery, or the specialty school, requests to attend a similar or equivalent external course should not normally be approved unless there are no available places on the NHSE/Deanery course.
  This includes Leadership & Management and Training the Trainers, which are offered as part of Professional Skills. Professional Skills courses can be booked via LSFD Maxcourse. Approvers can contact england.lsfdcourses.yh@nhs.net to confirm availability for upcoming course dates.

How to activate your account

The NHSE study leave team regularly review the faculty establishment to identify faculty changes. The team will create your ALM account after you start in post and you will receive an email from us when your account is created. You will also receive an activation email from NoReply@hicom.co.uk. Please follow the instructions in the email to set your password. Alternatively, use the Forgotten Password link on the ALM login page to request a password reset.

There may be a delay before receiving the password reset email. Please check your junk/spam folder and consider adding NoReply@hicom.co.uk to your safe senders list. Adding NoReply@hicom.co.uk to your safe senders list will also help ensure that you receive approval and other notifications.

If you have an NHS England email address, this will be used for your username. Alternatively, we will use your nhs.net or trust email address if available. If you have not received your account activation, please contact england.studyleave.yh@nhs.net to ensure that we have your correct details.

How to reset your password

To change your ALM password, please use the Forgotten Password link on the ALM login page. There may be a delay before receiving the password reset email. Please check your junk/spam folder and consider adding NoReply@hicom.co.uk to your safe senders list.

How to navigate the site

When you log in into ALM, you will be presented with the dashboard menu, click Leave Manager and Outstanding Approvals to view applications waiting your approval. You can also access Outstanding Approvals and other screens via the Navigation Menu.

The following menu options are available to approvers:

Leave Manager

• Outstanding Approvals: This is a list of applications which are waiting for you to approve or reject.
• Available Approvals: This is a list of applications available to you as a Key Approver (ie you can give overall approval)
• Previous Approvals: This is a list of applications you have previously approved.
• Previous Rejections: This is a list of applications you have previously rejected.
• Bypassed Approvals: This is a list of applications pending with or approved by another approver on the same approval chain. 
• Information Only: This is a list of applications linked to you for information only (ie you do not need to approve or reject the application but can monitor it's progress).

Notification

• Message: Includes system notifications as well as messages sent by other users. Messages are also sent by email.

How to navigate approval lists

The Outstanding Approvals list and other tabs provide a summary of the applications linked to you. The columns can be filtered to help you find specific applications. You may need to scroll horizontally to view all the details. The details shown in Outstanding Approvals include:

• [Applicant] Surname
• [Applicant] Forename
• Application Date
• Registration Number
• [Leave] Start Date
• [Leave] End Date
• Leave Type: ie Study, Private, Exam, International
• Placement Specialty: This may differ from the applicant's parent Training Programme
• Event: The name of the course/conference.
• Total days: Number of entitlement days involved.
• Application Type: ie Prospective or Retrospective.

To view a full application form, click the relevant row to open the form.

How to read application forms

The guide below explores the sections of the ALM application form. Please refer to this guide as appropriate when reviewing applications.

Leave details

The leave details section of the application form includes the following information:

• Applicant name and registration number
• Leave type: Study, Private, Exam, International
• Application ID: Please include the Application ID if contacting Medical Education or the NHSE study leave team about a specific application.
• [Leave] Start / End date
• Days leave: Number of entitlement days involved. This can be adjusted by the applicant when creating their application (eg to reflect half-days).
• Date submitted: Applications must be submitted in advance, normally between 8 to 6 weeks before the event.
• Reason for late application: Applicants submitting late or retrospective applications are asked to provide a reason for late application. Retrospective applications may considered if there is an exceptional reason and the application is received within 6 weeks of the event. Applications received outside of 6 weeks of the event would not normally be considered.

The leave details section also includes details of the applicant's placement at the time of the planned leave, including:

• Placement site
• Placement start - end date
• Training grade
• Placement specialty: This may differ from the applicant's parent Training Programme

If the placement information is incorrect, applicants can be sign posted to My placement details / training grade in ALM are incorrect | Study Leave FAQs

The top right corner of the application form also shows the overall application status. In the example above the application is pending. When the application has been fully approved, the overall application status will update to indicate that the application is approved. Likewise, if the application is rejected or cancelled.

Expense allowances are detailed in the local study leave operational guidance and are also listed below. The allowances are based on the national NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook. Any estimated expenses must reflect the study leave allowances. Expense claims submitted after the event will only be reimbursed up to the nationally agreed rates for travel and subsistence. Expense claims are submitted using the e-expenses system / process for the applicant's employing trust and authorised by Medical Education.

What to do if an application needs amendments

If an application has been completed incorrectly or you require amendments before the application can be approved, please reject the application and add comments for the applicant explaining the amendments required.

What to do if an application has been routed incorrectly

If an application has been assigned to you incorrectly, please contact Medical Education (at the applicant's employing trust) or the NHSE study leave team. We can then reassign the application to the correct approver.

What to do if an application needs to be cancelled

If the event/booking has been cancelled or postponed, the applicant will need to cancel their study leave application in order to ensure that their entitlements and expenses are recorded correctly. Instructions for applicants are available at: How to cancel an application | ALM Applicant User Guide. If the course / conference date has passed, the applicant will need to email Medical Education at their employing trust to ask them to cancel the application on their behalf.

If an application needs to be cancelled due to an approval error, please contact Medical Education (at the applicant's employing trust) or the NHSE study leave team for help. Please also contact the applicant directly to explain the issue.

Please note: Cancelled applications cannot be reinstated, so please be certain that the application needs to be cancelled before requesting a cancellation.

How to set an out office

If you are due to be away on leave, please set an out of office to redirect any new applications to another TPD approver or the Head of School. To set an out of office within ALM:

1. Click the My Account icon in the top right corner
2. Click the 'Leave Manager - Out of Office' section to expand it
3. Click Add
4. Lookup the covering approver and toggle 'covering approver notified'
5. Enter the start date (date from) and end date (date to) for your leave
6. Click save to set the out of office

How to request support

For help using ALM please contact Medical Education at your employing trust. If your query relates to a specific application you may need to contact the applicant's employing trust for assistance. For technical support, feedback or guidance, please contact the NHSE Study Leave team.

When emailing for support, please include the Application ID or the applicant's GMC Number and the start/end dates and course/conference for the application. 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.