The Trainee is an employee of the practice and should be treated in the same way as all practice staff with regard to employment.

Further information is available in the GP Trainee Handbook and GP Trainee Contract.

GP Trainees are normally permitted up to 14 calendar days of absence per training phase (ST Year) before it affects their Completion of Training (CCT) date. It is essential that all absences—particularly sick leave or other non-annual leave—are reported to NIMDTA. 

Please note: 

• Annual Leave is managed by the training practice. 
• Sick Leave and other absences must be reported to NIMDTA as they may impact the trainee’s training timeline. 
• Absences over 14 days per phase may result in an extension to the trainee’s CCT date, subject to ARCP review. 

To report an absence, please email: gpspecialtytraining.nimdta@hscni.net 

GPST2s and GPST3s based in a GP Practice require a Contract of Employment.

NIMDTA provide pre-populated contracts to GP Training practices for each Trainee in practice approximately 8 weeks from commencement of their post. Please ensure that any changes to the Educational Supervisor are reported promptly during this time. 

Every GP Trainer is required to sign and return to NIMDTA a GP Trainer SLA.

The SLA will be sent by NIMDTA and should be returned promptly. Please note that we require 1 SLA per Trainer. 

Any changes made to the ePortfolio will be available on the RCGP Website. 

Unfortunately the RCGP does not allow Practice Managers to be added to a GP trainees ePortfolio. 

If you have any queries with regard to practice payments please contact gpspecialtytraining.nimdta@hscni.net for further information. 

Should you wish to update contact details for payment purposes, please contact the GP Specialty Training department directly. 

Payments made to GP Training practices: 

• GP Trainers will receive a CPD grant of £750 annually. 
• GP Trainers receive a Trainer grant of £865.25 paid monthly while a ST2/ST3 trainee is in practice. 
• GP Trainers who provide educational supervision to a GP Trainee whilst in a hospital post will receive a £500 payment per 6 months paid bi-annually. 

Please read the Study Leave Guidelines for trainees HERE

GPST2 Study Leave Entitlement

There is no study leave for exam study i.e. AKT/ CSA, there is however study leave given for attendance at the exam.

GPST2S in Hospital Rotation

Study leave should be taken for Educational Supervision when Trainee is in their hospital post.  Study leave is also required for attendance at practice and locality/ regional education days whilst in hospital posts.

GPST3 Study Leave Entitlement

An St3 Trainee will use 25 days for day release course.  This leaves 5 additional days 2 of which are used for AKT and CSA; 3 further days may be arranged once the exams have been completed, following discussion between the trainee, Educational Supervisor and Programme Director and agreement as to how best the time can be used to meet the trainee’s learning needs.

GPST2s and ST3s can do home visits but should not be expected to do all the visits on a given day.

Visits are useful as they allow the trainee to see first-hand the patients living conditions.

FY2 can also do carefully selected visits.

GP trainees are employed to work 10 sessions a week. 

It is expected that they will undertake a minimum of 7 clinical sessions per week; the remaining sessions are made up as follows: 

ST2 & 3 

• 2 sessions for Locality days on a Thursday, 
• 1 session of protected learning time with the GP Trainer for ePortfolio/ WPBA 

FY2 

• 1 session Locality days 
• 1 session for ePortfolio 
• 1 session personal study, audit or WPBA. 

When courses are not running trainees should remain in practice. 

The session for ePortfolio does not have to be undertaken in 1 sitting, this session can be completed over the week. 

Any concerns with regard to trainee attitude should be firstly addressed by the GP Trainer and Practice Manager. 

If there is a significant problem then the relevant Programme Director should be informed and if the issue remains unresolved please contact NIMDTA. 

Protected learning time allows the trainees the opportunity to undertake educational activities and work on the WPBA/ ePortfolio with instruction from the GP Trainer. This will be at least 1 session per week. 

The induction process will be dependent on the level of the trainee and will be longer for FY2 and ST2 (approximately 2 weeks). 

The ST3 induction should last approximately 10 days. 

Trainee courses are available online on LearnHSCNI. 

Locality days – held frequently, trainees meet in small groups within their training area. 

Regional days – held less frequently, all trainees in a training year meet regardless of training area group. 

Please see the GP Trainer Page of the NIMDTA website for further information on Training practices.

The practice manager provides a vital role in managing protected time for the trainer and the trainee to undertake educational activity.

They manage the transition from 30 minute to 10 minute appointments dependant on the Trainee.  They are also invaluable in taking the Trainee through the management module.

Areas of practice management the practice manager can discuss with the Trainee:

• QoF
• Prescribing
• COMPASS
• Clinical Governance
• Practice Management
• IT

We would advise that the Practice Manager should spend approximately 1 session per month with the GP Trainee.

You will find any changes to the Training programme on this website, or on the RCGP Website.

Prior to the practice visit taking place the Practice Profile document will be sent out by NIMDTA.

This information is required to be returned approximately 2 weeks prior to the visit taking place.

This document will also detail the evidence required for the practice visit.

Please see the Practice Visits & Accreditation / Reaccreditation page for further information on practice visits.