Locum Appointments

Types of Training: Locum Appointments

The KSS SWT has produced full guidance on locum appointments for training (LAT). The guidance should be read in conjunction with section 5 of the Gold Guide. We provide a summary of the guidance below.

KSS Deanery will provide the LEP with an application pack containing permission to recruit, a generic application form and an outcome form (Appendix B).  

All LAT vacancies need to be competitively appointed using the national person specification located on the MMC website and must be advertised (as a minimum) through NHSJobs with an application window sufficient to meet the requirements of the UK Borders Agency for immigration purposes . Applications must be appropriately screened for immigration status, fitness to practice and declarations of criminal convictions.

Clinical Supervision and Assessment

LAT and LAS appointees will require appropriate clinical supervision. LAT postgraduate doctors must be assigned an educational supervisor to ensure that they participate in the assessment process on the same basis as other trainees in the programme. KSS Deanery Specialty School/STCs will include LAT postgraduate doctors in the ARCP process in line with the Gold Guide 2009 so LATs will need to have a record of assessed competencies. Doctors appointed to LATs should register with the appropriate Royal College/Faculty.

In LAS positions there is no requirement for assessment against competencies for training purposes. Clinical supervision is needed, but there is no requirement for an educational supervisor.

Although a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) cannot be obtained solely through LAT appointments the benefits for doctors include:

•  training recognition that contributes to training experience;
• documented competencies that can be taken into account for future applications to specialty training;
• experience that can be counted towards a Certificate Confirming Eligibility to the Specialist Register (CESR) application.

 Locum Appointments for Service (LAS)appointments are intended to meet an ongoing service need to cover short term vacant slots in a training programme. LASs are typically employed for up to four months specifically to meet service priorities, although they can be appointed for longer periods. 

Interviews

LEPs must ensure that there is an appropriately constituted and trained panel to undertake the interview. Panellists must have received training in equality and diversity and recruitment and selection. Each interview panel must, as a minimum, contain:     

• one KSS Deanery representative (DME or Clinical Tutor or a clinical member of the   Specialty School/Training Committee (STC)) 
• one clinician from the advertising specialty
• one senior HR representative.

Outcomes

LEPs must return paperwork to the SWT following local recruitment, as information is required by the specialty schools to ensure trainees are identified for assessments, without which training recognition will be withheld. The outcome form must be completed and returned by post or by email  within five working days of the recruitment. The following paperwork is also required, however this may be returned by post within ten working days of the recruitment:

• the application form;
• equal opportunities monitoring information;
• copy of GMC certificate;
• copies of primary and postgraduate qualification certificates references;
• copy of passport (front cover and signature/photograph page);
• evidence of HSMP / visa status;
• Home Office letter and passport sized photograph, signed on reverse.

The postal address for correspondence is

Specialty Workforce Team

Alpha House

100 Borough High Street

London

SE1 1LB