Postgraduate Medical Education FAQ

Foundation Programme and Horus Portfolio

Where can I find the Foundation Programme Curriculum?

It can be found on the official Foundation Programme website by clicking on the following link:https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/curriculum/

What is form ‘R’ and when do I have to complete it?

Form ‘R’ is used to outline any leave (sickness, maternity/paternity), any Significant Events, Complaints or Other Investigations that you have been involved in. Furthermore gives an opportunity to state any Compliments you received. Please ensure you have discussed anything you are filling in this form with your Educational Supervisor.
When you complete the form, please make sure you have any locum shifts you have worked (for internal locum shifts, please specify the specialty and number of shifts).
The ‘R’ form should be completed at the end of the year (during placement 3) as it is a requirement for your ARCP.

How can I extend the TAB assessment after it has been closed on Horus?

TAB assessment can be extended beyond the original 45 day time limit; however, this can only be done by an administration team in the Postgraduate Medical Education department. Please contact the administration team members using the generic email inbox.

What should I do if my supervisor has not yet completed the Supervisor's End of Year Report, and now my portfolio is locked?

Your supervisor can still complete the form; however they will need to complete this in your current placement. Please contact the administration team so they can move and backdate the form to the correct placement

I am struggling to schedule a meeting with my supervisor(s), what should I do?

It is your responsibility to contact your supervisors and set a meeting with them. If you are having issues to reach them, please call their mobile number, send them reminder email and contact their secretary. If all the above fail, please get in touch with the Postgraduate Team administrators.

What do I need to complete for my ARCP and by when?

With regards to which forms and assessments you need to complete for the ARCP, please visit the Foundation Programme website: https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/curriculum/assessments/ For further information about ARCP, please visit the Moodle platform.

What is Personal Development Plan (PDP) and how do I complete it?

Personal Development Plan is a systematic way of identifying and addressing your educational and professional development needs.
Your ARCP should be based on developing and/or reviewing your Personal Development plans. Be specific about your learning/development aims and explicitly state how you will achieve them.
For each rotation you should have completed at least 5 separate PDP’s. Each of them should have an outcome and evaluation.

What qualifies as Core-teaching and Non-core teaching?

You can find a thorough explanation and guidance about teaching hours on the official Foundation Programme website by clicking on the following link: https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/curriculum/personal-learning-log/

What are Budi Leads and how do I apply?

Budi Leads are interviewed in August, if you wish to come a Budi Lead please contact the Please contact your local Postgrad Team

How do I become a Foundation Rep?

Reps are interviewed and chosen in August, to apply to become a Rep you must complete the application form - Please contact your local Postgrad Team. For more information please see the Foundation Page on Moodle

What is SDT Time?

Self-Development Time is time allocated on your rota for self-development as a doctor. It should be already included in your rota, if this is not included please check with your rota coordinator or supervisor.

Teaching

Foundation

When, where and how the Foundation Teaching is delivered?

All Foundation Teaching is delivered face-to-face. Foundation Year 1 teaching is scheduled for Monday afternoon every two weeks, whereas Foundation Year 2 teaching is delivered every other Tuesday afternoon. The time table and teaching topics can be found on the Moodle platform. The time tables are updated every three months. The Foundation Teaching for QUE trainees is delivered on site, whereas teaching for both Heartlands and Good Hope trainees will be delivered at Heartlands Hospital site.

IMT

When, where and how the IMT teaching is delivered?

The teaching is delivered on Wednesdays once a month (face-to-face). The site alternates between QEH, HGS and SWBH. The teaching schedule and topics can be found on the Moodle platform. The time table is updated every three months.

When and where is PACES teaching held?

There are two separate PACES teaching schedules across the UHB. Depending on the availabilityof the speaker, for HGS the PACES teaching is held every Wednesday at 4 pm either at Heartlands or Good Hope hospitals every week. The PACES teaching at QEH is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon every week. For up-to-date information about the time tables please see the IMT section on Moodle page.

Who is my IMT Supervisor?

You should contact your department to find out who has been allocated to you. Please ensure that they are on your e-portfolio.

LED

When, how and where is LED teaching held?

The LED teaching is held twice a month virtually and face-to-face (depending on the site you are based at). The speaker is presenting face-to-face either from QEH site or from Heartlands Hospital as they alternate. The time table and programme topics can be found on the Moodle page.

Who should I contact to book the Advanced Life Support or Advanced Trauma Life Support course?

The courses can be booked by contacting Sharon Horley on sharon.horley@uhb.nhs.uk

Who can I contact if I have any questions regarding my appraisals or ‘Medic@work’?

For appraisal or revalidation queries please use the following email addresses: revalidation@uhb.nhs.uk/ Gaynor.Greaves@uhb.nhs.uk. If you have questions about ‘Medic@work’, please email Abdul.Faisal@uhb.nhs.uk.

Which portfolios are available to me as a Locally Employed Doctor?

The Trust provides a standard e-portfolio that is generic, and is used by doctors in all specialties. If you wish to have a portfolio tailored to the IMT curriculum, you can subscribe and purchase the IMT JRCPTB portfolio that you will have to finance yourself.

I haven’t been allocated a supervisor yet. What should I do?

If you are a new starter in the Trust or have commenced on a new rotation, you should be allocated a Supervisor within two weeks. If you have not been allocated a supervisor, and more than two weeks have passed since you have started, please contact the Clinical Service Lead of the department you are employed at.

How can I add a new rotation/post to my portfolio?

When you are moving to a new rotation or post within the Trust, please inform us as we keep your portfolio updated in order for you to track and manage your progress. To get in touch with us, please the generic LED email inbox:JSDEducation@uhb.nhs.uk

Who do I contact if I wish to extend my contract?

For all queries regarding the contracts and visas, please contact the medical resourcing managers Eleanor Parr and Many Coollis (see their emails below):

Does the Trust provide any free courses I can attend?

The Trust provides a multitude of free courses. The LED team will also circulate any courses that become available to you through the Moodle LED page, via email, the bulletin. Additionally, some courses are advertised via the Trust communication emails.

How can I request an access to the e-Portfolio?

To set up an e-portfolio, please email the LED team on: JSDEducation@uhb.nhs.uk
In your email, please provide us with the following information:
Your GMC Number
Your preferred email
Contract start & end date
Rotation/post and speciality (including dates)
Site – QEH, Heartlands, Good Hope or Solihull
Grade (LED Higher, LED Standard)
Supervisor (if known)

What e- portfolios can I access as an LED doctor in the Trust?

The below listed e-portfolios are free for the Locally Employed doctors:

Horus
NHS E-portfolio
For appraisal and revalidation – Medic@work

Each of the Royal Colleges have e-portfolios that are tailored to their specialty, however, you will have to self-fund if you wish to access them.

I am a Locally Employed doctor. What are the requirements for my e-Portfolio?

General recommendations for the e-Portfolio:

1-2 CBD per month
2-3 mini CEX per month
2-3 DOPs per month
1-2 e-learning modules per month
CPD Points

For more guidance, please visit the following sites:

How do I get a horus portfolio as a locally employed doctor?

If you are interested in obtaining a Horus portfolio, please check out the FAQs relevant to Non Training Grade doctors (NTG) in this link.
https://supporthorus.hee.nhs.uk/faqs/non-trainee-grade-ntg/#2339

How do I organize my Annual Appraisal?

The Annual Appraisal is organized by yourself using the ‘Medic@work’ platform. The LED Team is not involved in your appraisal or revalidation.

When should the Annual Appraisal be completed by?

It is expected for you to have an appraisal every 12 months (from your last appraisal/ARCPorthedateyoureceivedyourGMC registration).

How will my appraiser be allocated?

The appraiser is NOT allocated to you. You must find a consultant to agree to be your appraiser, and they have to be on the appraisers list at ‘Medic@work’. Not all consultants are on the list, hence, before asking please check if their name is on the list.

What are the requirements for the Annual Appraisal?

The information about requirements can be found on ‘Medic@work’.

For further information please visit the following websites:

Is it necessary to have a NHS e-portfolio to carry out an appraisal?

No, the appraisal is completed using ‘medic@work’, and having an e-portfolio is not required for it.

Is there any Peer Support available for me?

There is a WhatsApp groups that are exclusive to the Locally Employed Doctors (LED) currently working at all UHB sites.
Please find the link bellow:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/H0t1JECawUQBMT3CozHB7u

Clinical Skills

How do I arrange Clinical Skills Sessions?

Please book onto clinical skills sessions through easy learning. Please click on the link to take you to easy learning
https://www.developme.plus/login.aspx?r=%2fHome.aspx%3fp%3d105009%26zz%3d06493756&zz=97363578

Misc

What do I do with my completed Induction Checklist?

You should meet with your supervisor within the first week, during the meeting you should complete the document you were given at induction. Once completed please email this to your local Postgrad Office. Please see the Induction Section of Moodle for further information.

What Is Shadowing?

This should be arranged with the colleague who you will be taking over from and can be completed in 1 day or 2 part days, if this is not possible even 1 part day would be helpful. You should then record this in your E-portfolio.

Foundation Year 1

Shadowing is not mandatory but is strongly encouraged for all F1 trainees.

Foundation Year 2

For F2 trainees we recognise that some of you may already have done similar posts previously and have just completed a hospital post in which case a meeting about the specifics of the post may be sufficient. We would however strongly encourage an actual period of shadowing for all those who have worked off-site for their last post.

LED

All LEDs where this is your first job in NHS, should have 4 weeks of an integration period when they start undertaking independent oncall. You would normally be paired up to shadow an individual to fully understand your clinical role. Please query these arrangements at your local departmental induction if you have not had this confirmed. Alternatively contact the JSDEducation@uhb.nhs.uk team for support.

Who do I contact if I am sick?

Please email JuniorDoctorSickness@uhb.nhs.uk and contact the oncall Consultant. Also make a note of the dates and reason for your sickness for your Form R completion for ARCP/Apprasial.

Who do I contact if I have not had my rota?

Please see the Employment, pay and Leave section on Moodle for further contact details for rota coordinators.

Maternity Leave – who do I notify?

Medical workforce, rota co-ordinators, clinical supervisor.

How do I book oncall accommodation?

Please email: AccommodationOfficee-mail@uhb.nhs.uk
For further information please see the welfare and wellbeing section on Moodle.

What is a Bleep and how do I use it?

You can user the bleep pager system to contact other speciality doctors eg for a referral.
Dial 88, bleep number (4 digit number) then the last five digits of the phone you are using to bleep followed by #.

Consider downloading the induction app on your mobile: This has the majority of the contact details of specialities/departments/labs, etc

Do I get paid for completing a cremation form?

Enquiries related to cremation forms payments should be directed to MedicalResourcing@uhb.nhs.uk

Who do I contact if I haven't been paid correctly?

The Finance Department details can be found here - http://uhbhome/finance.htm(Intranet Site)

What is the GMC?

Please see the following link with information on the GMC - www.gmc.uk.org

Who is my designated body for Revalidation?

Health Education West Midlands

Who is my Responsible Officer for GMC revalidation?

Please see the GMC website for further information https://www.gmc-uk.org/help

How do I get an NHS.net account?

These can be issued by the Trust. Please contact the Service Desk ext 41130.

How do I raise concerns?

At a trust level there is your Clinical Supervisor or Education Supervisor and the Clinical Lead of the department you are working in, Junior Doctor Forums and Programme Director. There is also the Freedom to Speak Up Team and Exception Reporting Systems (Please see the Reporting System section of Moodle for further information)

What is a taster week?

A taster is a period of time, usually, two to five days, spent in a speciality in which the Foundation trainee has not previously worked. Its purpose is to enable the development of insight into the work of the specialty and promote career reflection. For further information please contact the postgraduate medical education team.

Last reviewed: 19 April 2024