Eligibility and Funding
Eligibility
The LETB will establish whether the trainee is eligible for flexible training according to the criteria of well-founded individual reasons. To be eligible to train flexibly, you need to be a trainee and to obtain your training post in open competition with full time trainees. You must then demonstrate that you have well-founded individual reasons, which would render full-time training impracticable.
Reasons fall into two categories, which are detailed in NHS employers’ “Principles underpinning the new arrangements for flexible training”.
Category 1
Those doctors in training with:
- disability or ill health
- responsibility for caring for children/dependants
Category 2
Those doctors in training with:
- unique opportunities for their own personal/professional development, e.g. training for national/international sporting events, or short term responsibility e.g. a national committee
- religious commitment – involving training for a particular religious role requiring time commitment
- non-medical professional development
Funding
Funding for flexible training is held by deaneries; it is not ring-fenced and so can be difficult to access and there are often long waiting lists.
Always suggest the option of part time in a full time slot as the funding is already there and dropping down to even 80% from full-time is often helpful. Consider what your needs are and whether there are any areas where you can be flexible – it may be useful if you can do full time on-call or no on-call if it is not needed for your training.