HEE Deans: Principles for redeployment of Doctors in Postgraduate Training Winter 2022/2023

Details of the principles for redeployment of Doctors in Postgraduate Training Winter 2022/2023

HEE Deans recognise that there will be very significant service pressures across all sectors of the NHS and Social Care this winter.

We also understand the pressures on providers and systems to maintain elective and diagnostics work.

While it sometimes feels like maintaining services and providing training are competing pressures, we would ask that, in the interests of ensuring the progression of Doctors in Postgraduate Training through to the substantive workforce, providers work with us to maintain training whether staff are deployed away from the specialty base or not.

Guiding Principles

• That the redeployment of trainees is only considered where all other options have been exhausted and redeployment is needed to ensure a patient safe service.
• That plans, and triggers, for redeployment, are agreed in advance, with input for trainees, and as much notice as possible is provided to those affected.
• Redeployment must be discussed, in advance, with the Postgraduate Dean or their designated deputy within the HEE local or regional office. The Director of Medical Education and Specialty College Tutor should be consulted on all redeployments prior to seeking approval from HEE. For Foundation trainees, the local Foundation Programme Director should be included.
• That an individualised approach is taken to avoid an impact of training progression, specifically that the following groups are not redeployed:
• Foundation Year 1 doctors, recognising that they are pre-registration
• Trainees currently identified as needing extensions to training or having additional training needs (current ARCP outcome 3/10.2).
• Trainees on an ARCP outcome 2 / 10.1 should not be redeployed if at all possible.
• Trainees in ‘high risk’ specialties are not redeployed if their specialty workload is continuing. For example, operating/diagnostic lists.
• Trainees in the last year of a programme where a redeployment would threaten completion and progression.
• That any redeployment location has adequate induction, clinical supervision, identified routes to escalate clinical concerns and provision of access to training and workplace-based assessments.
• The period of redeployment will agreed prospectively. Any redeployment lasting more than 7 calendar days will be reviewed every 48 hours. If a further redeployment is required further approval from the Postgraduate Dean will need to be sought.
• Trainees must receive an induction to a new area of work and must not work outside their competence and capability
• Trainees will not be redeployed back into secondary care from Mental Health Trusts, Primary Care or academic programmes.
• Annual and study leave should continue to be taken.
• HEE Deans recognise that there will be very significant service pressures across all sectors of the NHS and Social Care this winter.
• We also understand the pressures on providers and systems to maintain elective and diagnostics work.
• While it sometimes feels like maintaining services and providing training are competing pressures, we would ask that, in the interests of ensuring the progression of Doctors in Postgraduate Training through to the substantive workforce, providers work with us to maintain training whether staff are deployed away from the specialty base or not.
• Guiding Principles
• That the redeployment of trainees is only considered where all other options have been exhausted and redeployment is needed to ensure a patient safe service
• That plans, and triggers, for redeployment, are agreed in advance, with input for trainees, and as much notice as possible is provided to those affected.
• Redeployment must be discussed, in advance, with the Postgraduate Dean or their designated deputy within the HEE local or regional office. The Director of Medical Education and Specialty College Tutor should be consulted on all redeployments prior to seeking approval from HEE. (For Foundation trainees, the local Foundation Programme Director should be included.
• That an individualised approach is taken to avoid an impact of training progression, specifically that the following groups are not redeployed.
  • Foundation Year 1 doctors, recognising that they are pre-registration
  • Trainees currently identified as needing extensions to training or having additional training needs (current ARCP outcome 3/10.2).
  • Trainees on an ARCP outcome 2/10.1 should not be redeployed if at all possible.
  • Trainees in ‘high risk’ specialties are not redeployed if their specialty workload is continuing. For example, operating/diagnostic lists.
  • Trainees in the last year of a programme where a redeployment would threaten completion and progression.
• That any redeployment location has adequate induction, clinical supervision, identified routes to escalate clinical concerns and provision of access to training and workplace-based assessments.
• The period of redeployment will agreed prospectively. Any redeployment lasting more than 7 calendar days will be reviewed every 48 hours. If a further redeployment is required further approval from the Postgraduate Dean will need to be sought.
• Trainees must receive an induction to a new area of work and must not work outside their competence and capability.
• Trainees will not be redeployed back into secondary care from Mental Health Trusts, Primary Care or academic programmes.
• Annual and study leave should continue to be taken.