Regulating doctors, ensuring good medical practice

GMC to meet Colleges and trainees on examinations taken outside approved postgraduate training

GMC Statement

30 Apr 2010

The GMC will be reviewing the legal requirement for examinations to be undertaken ‘during or upon completion’ of an approved training programme for them to count towards the award of a CCT.

Postgraduate education must be coherent, with defined outcomes that are appropriately assessed.

Professor Peter Rubin, Chair of the General Medical Council

The GMC has indicated that it will review the legal requirement for examinations to be undertaken ‘during or upon completion’ of an approved training programme for them to count towards the award of a CCT. The GMC said it aims to be as pragmatic as possible in finding a way forward.

It is important to note that doctors in the following categories are not affected:

  1. a. Doctors taking a break from their training (for example, to go on maternity leave), or to undertake approved out of programme experience, but in doing so they must maintain their training status.
  2. b Doctors accessing LATs (locum approved training posts) or FTSTAs (fixed term specialty training appointments) are still in training posts and can take the assessments towards a CCT.
  3. c. Doctors who have taken a national examination while in the Foundation Programme.
  4. d. Doctors who received a CCT having transferred into approved training during the transition to the new training programmes.

Doctors who cannot access a CCT (without redoing the assessment) can gain entry to the Specialist or GP Registers via one of the equivalence routes and in practice most will do the CP (combined programme) which is both more straightforward and lower cost than a CESR/CEGPR.

The GMC had already committed to reviewing the legislative framework for regulating education and training. As far as this issue is concerned, the GMC is exploring whether it is possible to amend the legislation to provide greater flexibility around the timing of examinations while maintaining the coherence and quality of postgraduate education in the UK.

We do not consider that it would be proportionate or necessary for us to undertake a review of CCTs already awarded.

Professor Peter Rubin, Chair of the GMC, said:

“Postgraduate education must be coherent, with defined outcomes that are appropriately assessed. We are seeking to resolve the situation and will be meeting with key interest groups including representatives from the medical Royal Colleges, postgraduate deaneries, trainees and the four UK health departments to develop a pragmatic approach that will support trainees while maintaining the integrity of our processes."

Note to Editors

The GMC is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the GP and Specialist Registers. There are two routes on to those registers: through the award of either a CCT or Certificates of Eligibility for Specialist or GP Registration (CESR and CEGPR). The requirements for both routes are set out in legislation.

You can read our frequently asked questions on Certificates of Completion of Training (CCT) here.