Study Leave
You may find our induction video below on study leave helpful or our study leave guidance or FAQ on what to do if study leave is declined both found in the documents section at the bottom of this page.
In general – the more notice you give the department, rota coordinator and your colleagues the better. You must apply for any type of leave, including for the mandatory regional teaching days with a minimum of 6 weeks as per HEE and trust guidance.
In CMT trainees are allowed a maximum of 30 days study leave per year which includes your mandatory training days. It's impossible to give exact guidance on what will/won't be approved for study leave but as a general rule study leave must map to the curriculum and be relevant. Study leave can be extremely valuable in the augmentation of a training programme, and is therefore encouraged however it is discretionary and is subject to adequate notice having been given, local service requirements, and the written approval (on the application form) of the Educational Supervisor and Training Programme Director.
Study leave forms are available from the policy section of this website along with the study leave guidance document. You will note you need to get multiple signatures and submit the form 6 weeks prior to the event you are requesting leave for. Trainees often wonder why so many signatures are required and as a rough guide the reasons are outlined below:
- Rota co-ordinator: Ensures you're not on call and this wouldn't make your working pattern non-compliant
- Educational supervisor: Ensures it is appropriate to your level of training and that you can be released from duties on that day (your ward has adequate staff etc.) Note: They do not authorise funding.
- Specialty study leave advisor: Approves funding for the request.
There are various courses that are mandatory for CMT trainees and are therefore fully funded:
- PACES courses. Further details can be found under the "regional teaching/courses" section of this website. Normally only one PACES course will be funded per trainee.
- Simulation training e.g. ASCME, Advanced Procedural Courses). Further details can be found under the "regional teaching/courses" section of this website.
- ALS. A valid in-date ALS certificate is a requirement for your ARCP. It is the trainees responsibility to ensure their certificate is valid by booking a course before the certificate expires. Funding for ALS courses is a trust and not HEE responsibility.
- Expenses only for 1st attempt at each part of MRCP Exam Note: this does NOT include exam fees. 2nd and subsequent attempts will be allowed time only and not expenses.
- Regional CMT training days.
Funding for any other course is unlikely to be approved but requests should be discussed on a case by case basis with the TPD or Deputy. It is possible to get some funding for conferences if the trainee is presenting or has a poster at it. Study leave forms that are submitted after the event (retrospective claims) will not receive funding - it is the trainees responsibility to submit them in time. After the event, expenses can be claimed as per your local expenses procedure but all claims for costs must be applied for within 28 days of the course/exam.
Regardless of which trust you work in, all South Yorkshire trainees study leave forms and expense requests are processed via STH.
Once your study leave form (with any expenses) has been completed with all the necessary signatures return it to:
The Medical Education Centre, Northern General Hospital, Herries Road, Sheffield, S5 7AU.
Scanned signed copies may be emailed to Lesley.izzard@sth.nhs.uk
Any study leave forms that are incomplete or do not have the necessary signatures will be returned to the trainee, which will lead to delays and could result in your application being considered retrospectively and therefore will not be approved.
To claim your expenses:
Following your attendance on the approved course/exam all receipts should be uploaded onto the e-expenses system. STH Medical Education will then be notified of your claim and will process it. You will be notified via the e-expenses system if there are any queries relating to your claim.
