Specialty Recruitment

Northern Ireland is planning to perform recruitment as outlined in the table above. If a point is reached where online interviews are no longer manageable due to the ongoing pandemic, appointability may be determined based on scores awarded at shortlisting. This will either be based on MSRA scores or Self-Assessment scores. 

All Specialty training posts will be recruited to via the New Oriel2 recruitment system https://new.oriel.nhs.uk/Web/ Vacancies will be available to view on the new system from 2 November 2020 onwards. Please select the Medical Specialties Staff Group on the landing page to view specialty vacancies.

Round 2 – Application Window 10am Thu 26 Nov 2020 – Thu 17 Dec 2020

Northern Ireland is planning to perform recruitment as outlined in the table above. If a point is reached where online interviews are no longer manageable due to the ongoing pandemic, appointability may be determined based on scores awarded at shortlisting. This will either be based on MSRA scores or Self-Assessment scores.

All Specialty training posts will be recruited to via the New Oriel2 recruitment system https://new.oriel.nhs.uk/Web/ Vacancies will be available to view on the new system from 2 November 2020 onwards. Please select the Medical Specialties Staff Group on the landing page to view specialty vacancies.

Whilst it is not a mandatory requirement, it is strongly recommended that you speak to your current training programme director to discuss your plans and the effect it will have on your training. If you are successful in being offered a stroke medicine placement, you will need to complete an application form for out of programme (experience) before your post can be taken up.
Upon satisfactory completion of training in stroke medicine and the parent specialty, trainees will be eligible to have the sub-specialty included in their entry in the GMC’s Specialist Register, alongside the award of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in their main specialty; for more information on certification please see the JRCPTB website.

Applications can be made from 9am on Friday 4 December 2020 until 4pm on Friday 18 December 2020 via the Oriel Recruitment System.

The Applicant Handbook for posts commencing August 2021 is available below:

Applicants Handbook 2021

It is important that all applicants read this guide as it contains all the information that applicants will require regarding this Recruitment process.

SPECIFIC ARRANGEMENTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND: Please note that Flexibility in Deployment of Trainees is applicable only to England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has separate arrangements for management of requests for Special Circumstances. Further information is available via email to Recruitmentconfidential.NIMDTA@hscni.net Facilitated Placements will not take place in Northern Ireland for August 2018 in any specialty process.

Deferral of Posts: Deferral for non-statutory reasons within the GP Process will not be facilitated in Northern Ireland.

2014 Competition Ratios

2015 Competition Ratios

2016 Competition Ratios

2017 Competition Ratios

2018 Competition Ratios

2019 Competition Ratios

2020 Competition Ratios

A number of the recruiting specialties are using validated self-assessment to shortlist candidates. The method of shortlisting is detailed for all specialties in the vacancy tables above. Where self-assessment is being used candidates are asked to read and follow the guidelines below:

1. All Candidates MUST upload evidence for ALL self-assessment domains at time of application.
2. All Evidence MUST be uploaded in PDF FORMAT.
3. You MUST upload an index page before completing the self-assessment. The index should detail the evidence you have provided for each domain, to help the validators navigate through your evidence. This document MUST be named 00Index.pdf. A blank index template can be downloaded from the document library for the respective vacancy. A general template is available here.
4. Please combine evidence for each domain into ONE pdf per domain in the order listed within your index document. Each Domain should then be labelled accordingly (ie. 01Quals)
5. If it is not possible for you to combine documents into one pdf, you will be permitted a max of 5 documents per domain and they should be labelled accordingly (ie, 01a, 01b, etc. in order based on your index page)
6. Please ensure you keep to the naming convention above and DON’T use any non-alphanumeric characters (ie. &*.%$) as this will prevent the transfer of your documents into SharePoint for validation.
7. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure uploaded documents FULLY DEMONSTRATE the required evidence based on the rating they have chosen. Failure to do so may result in the score for that domain being reduced. (ie. if you have claimed that you have presented at a national or international meeting, do not expect your slides alone to be accepted as evidence; please also upload confirmation from the conference organisers that your presentation was included in the programme of events.)
8. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure uploaded documents are CORRECTLY ORIENTATED AND LEGIBLE. Failure to do so may result that domain being scored zero.
9. ONLY upload documentation directly relevant to your self-assessment. The validating panel cannot be expected to review your entire portfolio. If a candidate is deemed to have uploaded unnecessary documentation that prevents the validation panel from quickly identifying the correct evidence, their application will be rejected.
10. You can only claim on the basis of achievements completed at point of submission of your application.
11. Scores are not adjustable after submission – you cannot amend your self-assessment score after should you have made a mistake on your application form, or gained an achievement after the submission of your application.

All 2021 interviews will be performed online. HEE managed recruitment will be performed via MS Teams, NIMDTA managed recruitment will be performed via Zoom. The format of interviews differs between specialties. Each interview process will be around 20 minutes per candidate with questions which may assess skills such as communication, clinical judgement, prescribing amongst others. During the interview process, candidates may encounter a lay representative who will be there to ensure the panel is conducting a fair and transparent process.

When you join the interviews you will be admitted into a waiting room until the panel is ready. Once in the interview, you will initially be asked to hold up photographic ID to the camera and then to rotate your camera around your room. The camera sweep is to allow you to show the panel that you are alone in the room, with no personal belongings. Candidates are also advised that they are not to record the interview nor use a virtual background.

For information regarding National Recruitment Processes, please refer to the lead recruiters’ website.

All specialty training offers will be made through Oriel.
Appointments to training programmes or posts will be offered in rank order, based on selection scores.
Not all candidates deemed eligible for appointment by the interview/selection panel will be offered a post as recruitment offices will invite more applicants to interview than posts available.
Following interview and/or assessment, the recruitment office will contact applicants, if successful, with news of an offer. Unsuccessful applicants will receive a message informing them that they have not been successful on this occasion.
Applicants deemed eligible for appointment who rank below the number of vacancies available, could still receive an offer, if offers made to higher ranked candidates are rejected.
Applicants receiving training offers through Oriel will have the option to accept, decline or hold (until the hold deadline) the offer made. Applicants will be given 48 hours (excluding weekends but including bank holidays) from release of the offer to decide whether to accept, reject or hold it.
Offers which are not responded to within the 48 hour deadline will expire and will be offered to another applicant.

Single Transferable Score:  Please note, where a recruitment process is using Single Transferable Score, applicants should be reminded that offers should be accepted with upgrades.

Further information is available via the Applicants Handbook

Below you will find a list of documents that successful candidates will be asked to present via a Zoom after an offer has been accepted. These are part of the pre-employment check process and are in addition to any documentation required as part of the actual interview process; please check with your Lead Recruiter for any specific interview documentation. 

• 2020 Career Planning Presentation
• Professional Support Unit Contacts

Written feedback will, be made available to candidates on request.

The following information will be made available:

• Your score per station
• Your total score
• Maximum score available
• Your appointability and the minimum score required for appointability
• Your rank and the rank needed to obtain a post

For National Recruitment processes using the digital scoring system, all candidates will receive feedback no later than 7 days after the nationally agreed offers deadline.

Candidates may request feedback by submitting the form below:

Feedback Form 382.93 KB 91 downloads

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Written feedback, other than the information identified above, is not provided. Verbal feedback is also not provided.

Requests for scoresheets / interview notes will be dealt with under the Subject Access Provisions of the Data Protection Act. For details of how to make a request, please visit our Data Protection and Freedom of Information Page.

References

Reference reports are not used for scoring purposes during shortlisting or interview but will be reviewed during the selection process and again prior to confirmation of appointment for successful applicants. The reference process is designed to check the accuracy of your previous employment and training history and to provide assurance of your suitability for employment.  You must provide contact details, including up-to-date e-mail addresses, of three referees who have supervised your clinical training within the past three years. If you are applying to more than one specialty, you may opt to nominate different referees for each specialty. If you have recently had a career break and can not nominate referees from the past three years, then your referees must include your two most recent supervisors.  You should contact your clinical referees in advance to confirm that they are willing to provide a reference and are available and able to do so in the time period required for selection and appointment.  If you are offered, and accept a training programme, your employer will not be able to issue a contract without references.  It is important that applicants confirm referee email addresses prior to completing the application form. Once offers have been accepted, referees will be contacted by email with details of their referee account. It is therefore important that email addresses are and for email accounts that are regularly accessed.

2018 Reference Form 75.00 KB 161 downloads

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Access NI Checks (Criminal Records Checks)

Fitness to Practise Declarations

As part of the application process to specialty training, applicants are required to declare any fitness to practise issues to recruitmentconfidential.nimdta@hscni.net. These declarations are held confidentially by the Professional Support Department until the recruitment process is complete. Declarations from successful applicants will be shared with the Trainee Review Group (TRG) to establish if the information provided warrants completion of an individual Transfer of Information (TOI) form. The information will also be forwarded to the Medical Director, Director of Medical Education and Medical HR within each future employing Trust for the duration of the training programme.

Please complete and return the form below to declare any Fitness to Practise issues:

Fitness to Practse Declaration Form 382.85 KB 20 downloads

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Pre-Placement Health Assessment

Evidence of Advanced Life Support (ALS)

Right to work in the UK

Disability Discrimination Act

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

Deferral of Start Date

Special Circumstances

•National Complaints Policy – Recruitment 2021

If an applicant has concerns or complaints about their interview process, they should raise this immediately with the Recruitment Lead before leaving the interview venue. The Recruitment Lead will then complete this form