This document is a companion to the 4th edition of the Foundation Programme Curriculum which will be implemented from July 2012.
Building on processes, which are currently working well within foundation training; the Reference Guide 2012 has been revised in line with the recommendations set out in Professor John Collins’ report, Foundation for Excellence (Appendix 1). The revisions include the changes required to deliver the Foundation Programme Curriculum 2012 and are aligned to the GMC’s Quality Improvement Framework.
Key changes include:
- Chapter 2 sets out the agreed Purpose of the Foundation Programme (Foundation for Excellence: Recommendation 1)
- Chapter 4 clarifies the optimal placement length (Foundation for Excellence: Recommendation 10) and the exceptional arrangements for swapping F2 rotations (Foundation for Excellence: Recommendation 14)
- Chapters 5 describes the placement supervision group
- Chapters 5, 6 and 7 have been aligned to the GMC’s Quality Improvement Framework
- Chapter 8 has been updated to reflect the Improving Selection to the Foundation Programme project (Foundation for Excellence: Recommendations 4 & 5) and changes to Transfer of Information (Foundation for Excellence: Recommendations: 31 & 33)
- Chapter 9 reflects the changes required to support the Curriculum (2012) (Foundation for Excellence: Recommendations 2, 15, 20 & 22). It reaffirms that deaneries/foundation schools should provide details about how trainees can raise concerns if they consider that there is not an appropriate balance between education and training (Foundation for Excellence: Recommendation 28). It also describes a range of options for providing community experience (Foundation for Excellence: Recommendations 13 & 16)
- Chapter 10 has been re-written to specifically enhance the processes for managing and supporting F1 doctors (with particular reference to doctors in difficulty) and introduces an annual review of competence progression (ARCP; as aligned to the Gold Guide)
- Chapter 11 has been introduced to describe the processes for managing and supporting F2 doctors (with particular reference to doctors in difficulty), introduces ARCP for F2 doctors and highlights the specific requirements for revalidation. There is significant overlap between the process for sign-off in F1 (Chapter 10) and F2 (Chapter 11) but there are also important differences.
The UK Foundation Programme Office may seek legal advice, HR advice and possibly Equality and Diversity advice to support information relevant to sign-off, the appeals process and other areas of interest.
Comments on
UK Foundation Programme Office
Foundation Programme Reference Guide 2012
The following brief comments on the Foundation Programme reference Guide are offered from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
- The College believes that Study leave should be allowed for College exam preparation and for taking the exam to better prepare candidates who are clear about their career choices.
- The statement covering the requirements for completion of F1 and F2 which was missing in previous versions is helpful and will support consistency across the UK.
- The introduction of ARCP s for Foundation will significantly add to the workload of LEPs although it brings the benefit of preparing trainees for future specialty ARCPs. However the format is unusual in that outcome 2s are not allowed. There may be occasions when some form of targeted training would be valuable in F2.
- The new assessment process is not entirely clear. There is preservation of CBD, Mini cexs etc but these are now formative and not summative. The change to SLEs will be confusing as it still relies on the CBDs etc.
- The section on Doctors in difficulty is welcome and useful.
- The statement concerning referral to the GMC of all trainees who do not complete F1 is a concern and is unnecessary for most as these usually relate to educational difficulties ,sickness absence, maternity leave etc. It will be very worrying for trainees who are referred in this way.