Revalidation Guidance for Trainees who are Out of Programme (OOP)

Specialty and GP Trainees

All doctors now have to revalidate at 5 year intervals and at the point of award of CCT. Periods of time Out of Programme (OOP) still count towards revalidation, and generally do not affect the revalidation cycle. The only time that this may change is if your CCT is 12 months away; or you are having a career break at the time of revalidation and have not been able to collect any evidence, when the Responsible Officer may allow deferral of revalidation until you resume practice.

You therefore need to continue to collect cumulative evidence to support your revalidation and all aspects of your practice as a doctor must be accounted for. Depending on the type of work you are doing while out of programme, you may need to collect different, and possibly more, evidence than for the usual ARCP.

Your ARCP date will be set in advance as usual and you will be required to submit evidence and attend if necessary as requested by your Training Programme Director.

For trainees in ALL types of OOP

The Postgraduate Dean, Dr Geoff Smith, will remain your Responsible Officer (RO) while you are OOP and your designated body is Health Education South West. While you are away you will need to do the following, on at least an annual basis:

  • Engage with and complete the requirements of any training component of work you are undertaking, including provision of a Supervisor’s Report, completion of online portfolios and any work place based assessments as specified by your specialty. This continues during any work overseas. Where possible the Educational Supervisors report should be completed via the relevant e-Portfolio. If this is not possible a paper report should be completed.
  • Engage in, and provide documentary evidence of involvement with the appraisal or review process in your host organisation, and retain any paperwork for submission to the ARCP panel.
  • Complete the Form R, listing your entire scope of practice including locum and other wider work as a doctor, and answering the revalidation questions about any incidents, complaints, health and probity in readiness for revalidation.
  • Complete a Wider Scope of Practice form, for any work within your scope of practice that falls outside of your training programme or OOP (e.g. locums, voluntary work etc.). Provide evidence that you are satisfying the GMC domains of Good Medical Practice across that scope of practice. This form must be signed by your supervisor.
  • Maintain your licence to practise, including your Postgraduate Dean RO connection on GMC Connect. Please note that you should not relinquish your licence whilst OOP. Once appointed to the training programme you will remain the responsibility of the Postgraduate Dean RO until you have completed your training and resigned your NTN (national training number).

For extra requirements in individual OOP types please see details below

Out of Programme for Training (OOPT)

The ARCP outcomes for trainees undertaking satisfactory OOPT are the same as those when in the training programme. The panel will also need all the evidence listed above to make a judgement about your readiness for revalidation.

Out of Programme for Research (OOPR)

Your School will have decided in advance whether or not you can count some of your research time towards your certificate of completion of training (CCT), but the evidence required for revalidation will not change. In addition to all of the generic evidence you need to provide to the ARCP panel, on page 1, you will need to do the following:

  • Be aware of and abide by the GMC Guidance on Good Practice in Research
  • Submit a completed OOP Supervisor Report for each period/post of research.
  • If you are also carrying out clinical work, you will also need to provide a Clinical or Educational Supervisor’s report through your e-portfolio or on paper.

Out of Programme for Experience (OOPE)

The ARCP outcome for trainees undertaking satisfactory OOPE have not changed and you should routinely be awarded an 8. However the panel will need the evidence listed above to make a judgement about your readiness for revalidation.

Out of Programme for Career Break (OOPC)

If you do not undertake any medical work at all during the year before your revalidation date, then the Dean may recommend a deferral of your revalidation date.

If you have a shorter period of OOPC than a full year or you do undertake any medical work during this period, you will need to provide evidence as detailed above. In particular you will also need to:

  • Engage with any Return to Training Scheme run by your School prior to leaving, during, and upon your return to training.
  • Keep an accurate record of any medically related work you undertake whilst you are not working in your training programme, including any assessments or appraisals.
  • Keep an accurate record of any educational events that you are involved with for example attending training days and record in your portfolio. In the unlikely event that you undertake any activity in your capacity as a registered medical practitioner whilst on a career break, you will need to participate in the appraisal or review process in your host organisation.

Time Out of Foundation Programme (TOFP)

Foundation trainees registered with a provisional licence to practise (FY1) do not need to participate in revalidation. Foundation trainees who are fully registered with a licence to practise do need to participate in revalidation.

Foundation trainees may take Time Out of the Foundation Programme between F1 and F2 or, in exceptional circumstances, during the training year. Reasons for time out may include gaining clinical experience outside of the Foundation Programme, research, career break or for statutory reasons such as maternity and sick leave. During time out your designated body and Responsible Officer for revalidation will remain the same.

While you are taking Time Out of Foundation Programme you will need to continue collecting evidence to support your Revalidation:

  • Maintain Registration and Licence to Practise with the GMC.
  • Participate in the foundation school Annual Review process including:
    • Submit a completed Form R (via ePortfolio)
    • Submit evidence of participation in the appraisal or review process in your host organisation
    • Adhere to the GMC’s guidance on Good Practice in Research (if undertaking research)

When you return to your training programme, the ARCP panel will need to consider the above in addition to evidence and documentation normally provided, in order to ensure your entire scope of practice is covered.