Programme and post approval FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions regarding Programme and Post Approvals
FAQs for Trainees
FAQs for Deaneries
Trainees
Will the GMC accept PMETB approval towards a CCT?
The GMC will accept approval via whatever mechanism was in place for a post at the time. The table below outlines this approval:
| Period |
Organisation |
| Before September 2005 (for specialists) |
The relevant medical Royal College or Faculty |
| Before September 2005 (for GPs) |
The Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice (JCPTGP) |
| Between September 2005 and March 2010 |
Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB)** |
| From April 2010 |
The GMC |
| **Before 31 July 2007 |
Some training posts that were completed before 31 December 2006 may have been approved retrospectively by the Royal College or Faculty for that specialty (including General Practice). This approval will have been granted before 31 July 2007 and the doctor will have written confirmation from the Royal College or Faculty confirming this. |
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Can the GMC retrospectively approve a post to count towards a CCT?
No. Prospective approval must be given by the GMC for Out of Programme Training (OOPT) and Out of Programme Research (OOPR), as well as Acting up posts (AUC) if the post is not part of the specialty curriculum and is to count towards a trainee's CCT. In exceptional circumstances if an application is received whilst the trainee is still in post the GMC may consider this request. There may be some circumstances where further investigation is warranted because of an administrative error, and the GMC will consider these on a case-by-case basis so as not to disadvantage trainees.
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I have not yet been accepted onto a specialty training programme but I want to train in my chosen specialty in an overseas (non-UK, non-EEA) country for a period of time before returning to the UK to undertake my training. Can this training be counted towards the CCT?
No. All overseas training must have the prospective support of the Postgraduate Dean and approval from the GMC. As you are not yet a UK trainee, do not have an NTN and have not been accepted onto a particular specialty, the prospective approval process does not apply. We would, however, advise you to keep a formal record of your experience so that you may count it towards a future CESR if you choose to do so.
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I want to do part of my CCT training in another European Economic Area (EEA) member state. Do I need to seek prospective approval from the GMC for this training to count towards my CCT?
No. The GMC recognises training approved by the competent authorities in other EEA states. Therefore, if you are transferring between posts which comply with European directive requirements and you have written confirmation that the competent authorities approve those posts, this training can be recognised towards a CCT without GMC involvement. This is applicable to non-EEA nationals as well as EEA nationals.
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I have been accepted for specialty training and have an NTN, however, I want to defer the start of my training to complete relevant additional training such as research. Can I apply for prospective approval of this experience towards my CCT?
Yes. As you have an NTN in a specified specialty you can seek prospective support to complete experience such as research from the College and Postgraduate Dean, and the training can be prospectively approved by the GMC. The exact length of time that such approved experience will count towards your specialty programme will be considered by your parent College or Faculty in conjunction with the deanery.
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I wish to undertake a national fellowship, such as a National Oncoplastic Breast Fellowship, in a deanery other than my home deanery. Do I need to seek prospective approval from the GMC?
Moving between deaneries does not necessarily mean moving out of programme. If the experience is not part of an approved CCT programme, it is considered out of programme regardless of location. If the GMC has approved the programme which includes the fellowship under the host deanery, and the post is training towards the same curriculum, you do not require additional prospective approval.
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I am considering moving to part-time (also known as less than full-time, flexible or supernumerary) training. Do I have to work a minimum of 50 per cent of a full-time role?
See our position statements on less than full-time training (October 2011) (pdf) and academic training in a less than full-time setting (January 2012) (pdf).
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I am a part-time (also known as less than full-time, flexible or supernumerary) trainee in general practice. Am I still required to complete one full-time week in a hospital and one full-time week in a general practice setting?
Legislative changes effective from December 2007 removed this requirement from the General Practice CCT requirements. Therefore, this is no longer a requirement for the award of a CCT for those applying after December 2007.
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Deaneries
How do I apply for GMC approval for a new specialty programme?
To apply for GMC approval of a new specialty programme, the deanery will need to complete and sign a Form_A (doc). It will then need to be submitted (via the secure portal, GMC Connect) with a letter of support from the relevant Royal College or Faculty. All documents must be appropriately signed and the letter of support must support the specific new specialty programme being applied for by naming it, as it is written on the Form A. If this is not correctly completed, the application will be rejected.
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How do I apply for GMC approval for adding a new training location/s to an existing specialty programme?
To apply for GMC approval for adding a new training location/s to an existing specialty programme, the deanery will need to complete and sign a Form_B (doc). It will then need to be submitted (via the secure portal, GMC Connect) with a letter of support from the relevant Royal College or Faculty. All documents must be appropriately signed and the letter of support must be in support of the specific new training location/s being added by naming it, as it is written on Form B. If this is not correctly completed, the application will be rejected.
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When do I need to complete a Form B?
A Form B needs to be completed and submitted by the deanery when a new training location is being introduced into a specialty programme that has already been approved by the GMC. For example, a Form B would be used if a new hospital site is built which will host doctors in training within an already existing specialty programme. Form B should not be used for flexible (e.g. less-than-full-time, part time or supernumerary) posts unless they are taking place in a training location which was not previously part of the specialty programme.
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How do I access GMC Connect?
If you have already been provided with log-in details, GMC Connect can be accessed via the GMC Website. If you do not have log-in details, please contact quality@gmc-uk.org with your name, email address and an explanation as to why you require access to GMC Connect and a member of the team will contact you with further details.
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What do I do if I want to reconfigure an existing specialty programme/s?
Please contact quality@gmc-uk.org with details of the changes including the GMC ID code/s for the specialty programme/s being changed.
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Why do applications for approval need to be submitted before doctor's in training enter the new specialty programme or training location?
In order for a doctor in training to be eligible for the award of a CCT, all of their training must have been undertaken in GMC approved training programmes and training locations. Approval must be granted prospectively. If the doctor in training enters a specialty programme or training location that is not approved the award of their CCT is in jeopardy.
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How long does the application process take?
Once the GMC has received, via GMC Connect, a complete application (that is, a correctly complete application form and the appropriate supporting documentation) the process takes a maximum of 10 working days to approve. However, applications must be submitted to a minimum of 4 weeks before the doctor in training begins in a new programme or at a new training location.
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How do I know if my application has been approved?
When you submit a request via GMC Connect it is assigned to a Service Request (SR) number. You can monitor the progress of your application using this SR number. Once the SR has been marked 'complete' you will be able to view the details of the approved specialty programme and/or training location/s through GMC Connect.
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Do Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs) and/or locations where training 'sessions' are held, need to be approved by the GMC?
Yes, you should seek approval from the GMC for the above mentioned locations when the:
- Clinical Supervisor is not with the doctor in training
- Doctor in training is at the location for more than two sessions per week
- Training component provided within the ISTC, or location where 'sessions' are held is essential for the delivery of the curriculum (that is where the removal of doctors in training from the location will have a detrimental impact on delivery of the curriculum).
If the sites do not meet the above criteria, there is no need to seek GMC approval.
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What is Maximum Training Capacity?
Maximum Training Capacity, or 'MTC', indicates the maximum number of whole time equivalent (WTE) individuals that the programme can sustain to ensure that doctors in training receive appropriate supervision and exposure to curriculum requirements. The approval of MTCs is currently suspended by the GMC until further notice. It is not currently possible to remove this section from GMC Connect therefore MTC will be listed as 0 for new specialty programmes, or will remain at the last reported number for specialty programmes that were approved prior to the suspension on MTCs. Please note that the training capacity is therefore at the discretion of the deanery. The postgraduate dean must therefore ensure that doctors in training receive the appropriate supervision and workload to achieve the curriculum competencies and complete the assessments.
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How do I remove a training location from a specialty programme?
Contact quality@gmc-uk.org with the details of the changes to be made to the specialty programme, then the request can be submitted via GMC Connect under 'LEP Change'. Any removal of a training location must include written support from the relevant college outlining the reason for the removal.
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Why does the Postgraduate Dean need to sign Forms A & B? Can anyone else sign these forms?
The Postgraduate Dean is ultimately responsible for the quality management of the specialty programme and it is therefore necessary that the forms have been acknowledged by them before being submitted. It is at the discretion of the Postgraduate Dean if they wish to delegate to someone else to sign on their behalf.
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What do I do if the name of a Trust/Board changes or if a Trust/Board splits?
The GMC are notified by ODS (Organisation Data Services) of any changes in trust name and will update GMC Connect accordingly. If a trust splits then please notify us of which part of the trust is retaining the training via quality@gmc-uk.org.
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Are the programme approval systems and National Training Surveys (NTS) linked?
Yes. The NTS uses the approved programme locations to validate the sites that trainees are in, and the results of the NTS are reported by these locations. It is essential that the programme approval data is kept up-to-date to ensure that trainees can be recorded accurately against their correct training location for their programme, and their perceptions of training are reported on by these locations for quality management. Please note that we use the organisation codes associated to the training locations to aggregate responses at both site (e.g. hospital or GP practice etc') and Trust/Board level. Therefore, please ensure the correct organisation code is provided on application forms to show the site and trust combination to ensure reporting in the NTS is accurate.
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Are the Out of Programme (OOP) and Approval of Programme systems linked?
No - OOP is related to the individual doctor in training. If a doctor in training is undertaking a post (within an LEP) in the UK that is not part of the approved programme they are in, but is approved as part of another programme, then either the OOP process is required, or the Deanery needs to make an application to have the LEP added to the programme. For any queries relating to OOPT/OOPR, please contact ooptapprovals@gmc-uk.org.
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