The Northern Ireland Foundation School has a clear policy that it is not appropriate to change segments of a balanced two year Foundation Programme.

The posts in F1 and F2 were submitted for educational approval to the approved regulator (GMC).  All of the posts have a balance and the combinations were carefully chosen to compliment and give broad experience in terms of medical opportunity and location.

Occasionally we do need to make changes for doctors to meet their educational or professional needs particularly for doctors who require extensions to their training.

The recruitment process followed national guidelines and the posts were on offer to all who applied and each applicant received their post in open competition and obtained their post based on their choices and rank order in the recruitment process.

If posts subsequently become vacant a separate recruitment process will be used to fill gaps (Standalone F2 posts).

The Foundation doctor understands and agrees that, should another Trust, hospital, regulatory body or deanery, to which the Foundation doctor has applied for a position request a reference from the Deanery (NIMDTA), the Deanery may share any and all appropriate information that it possesses concerning the Foundation doctor, including information relating to any disciplinary, suspension or termination from the Foundation Programme or the employing Trust, or perceived inability to practice within commonly accepted standards of care.

The Foundation doctor should acknowledge the Deanery’s (NIMDTA) responsibility to release such information where required.

Throughout your training you will be required to complete a number of training surveys and questionnaires.

The GMC, is the independent regulatory body responsible for postgraduate medical education and training.

It states that ‘All trainees should comply with any quality management processes such as completion of the trainee survey and taking part in any QM interviews coordinated by the deanery and or the GMC.’

The General Medical Council in Good Medical Practice, states that in Maintaining Good Medical Practice you must ‘take part in systems of quality assurance and quality improvement’ (Paragraph 14d). All foundation doctors must complete Deanery and training surveys from the GMC promptly and retain evidence of completion of the survey for ‘sign-off’ purposes in addition.

The Northern Ireland Foundation School provide reports to the GMC and UKFPO on foundation outcomes.  The Northern Ireland Foundation School is required to notify the GMC if a doctor fails to complete foundation training or resigns or withdraws from training.

Resignation from your foundation programme before the full two years of training is regarded as early resignation or withdrawal from training.  Before taking this step ensure you make contact and discuss your options with Dr Parks, Foundation School Director at NIMDTA.

The Reference Guide is the document which lays out the requirements which are considered for a doctor who wishes to consider time out of foundation training.

Approval will depend on circumstances presented to the NIFS Director.  Six months notice is normally required to exit the training programme and a comparable period of notice is needed to return to an available vacant placement.

The Northern Ireland Foundation School does not approve and cannot recognise F1 or F2 training outside of the UK Foundation Programme.