FAQs

Yes, however any sponsorship should be appropriate your CPD plan and/or business needs of the service.  All details of sponsorship received will be recorded and monitored in line with Trust policies and procedures.

• If you are to receive sponsorship for the event, full details must be completed in the relevant section.
• Ensure that all sections are completed with correct, relevant information - incomplete applications will be returned, which could delay approval

Study leave applications which involve external sponsorship will be dealt with in line with the Trust’s procedure for Working with the Pharmaceutical Industry: Sponsorship for Study Leave and Medical Education, which relates to the receipt of sponsorship by individual medics, psychologists and non-medical prescribers and requires that any sponsorship is declared.

Where sponsorship is part of the study leave application, the following information is a mandatory requirement:-

• name of the sponsoring organisation
• nature of sponsorship, including:- amount and type of funding received and cost of travel and accommodation
• programme objectives
• target audience
• venue

The applicant must confirm that they have read and are abiding by the Trust's gifts and gratuities policy in relation to the study leave application.

The Medical Education Team will send all study leave application forms which include external sponsorship to the Company Secretary who will update the register of receipt of gifts, hospitality and sponsorship as appropriate (this document is a public document and is available on the intranet).

Travel and subsistence claims will be met from service budgets and must be reasonable and acceptable to the service.  

Local service expenses are finite and, where possible, medical staff must seek to utilise saver options such as booking trains in advance and booking hotels on the internet.

The expenses payable are as follows:

a) Travel – The lesser of public transport mileage, 2nd class rail fare – 24p per mile – and are subject to local service approval

b) Registration/Course Fees – Medical Education approval required

c) Subsistence – Up to:-

£55.00 per night for bed and breakfast. b. up to £5.00 for lunch (12 noon – 2pm)

up to £15.00 for an evening meal (after 7pm) in the same 24 hour period

NB The above rates apply to international travel also. However, only 1 instance of international travel can be supported per year, subject to meeting relevant approval criteria.

Consultants - are required to complete the Study leave e-form and should apply for study leave via the Zicardian E-Leave system www.zircadian.com;

The following must apply in all cases:-

- Applications to be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to date of leave

- Mandatory training must be up-to-date.

- Course objectives should match those of PDP, Team, service and organization

- Travel and subsistence costs are appropriate (claims will be processed and paid for by local service)

- Sponsorship (if received) is appropriate – details will be recorded and monitored in line with the Trust’s Working with the Pharmaceutical Industry/Countering Fraud policy

- Cover for absence has been agreed

- Learning should will be fed back in the most appropriate way (eg at Joint Academic Forum)

Late applications - will only be considered if there are extenuating circumstances (e.g short notice warning of important courses)

Retrospective applications will not be considered and any leave taken will be deducted from the doctors annual leave entitlement.

Trainees - are required to complete the study leave e-form 

The following must apply in all cases:

• Applications to be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to date of leave
• Mandatory training must be up-to-date.
• Travel and subsistence costs are appropriate (claims will be processed and paid for by local service)
• Sponsorship (if received) is appropriate – details will be recorded and monitored in line with the Trust’s Working with the      Pharmaceutical Industry/Countering Fraud policy
• Cover for absence has been agreed
• Learning should will be fed back in the most appropriate way (eg at Joint Academic Forum)
• Examination fees – will not be reimbursed

Late applications - will only be considered if there are extenuating circumstances (e.g short notice warning of important courses)

Retrospective applications will not be considered and any leave taken will be deducted from the doctors annual leave entitlement.

Claims for expenses must be completed and submitted for payment to the appropriate Lead Consultant by all medical staff (irrespective of whose payroll they are on) within 4 weeks of attending a course/conference.  All receipts must be attached.

The claim form will be checked against the original approval and authorised to the same limits, before sending to the appropriate payroll department for payment.

Travel Claim Form for Trust Consultant and SAS Doctors 

Travel Claim Form for Trainees

Up to 30 days leave (including off-duty days falling within the period of leave) with pay and expenses, in 3-year rolling period.

Local service expenses are finite and, where possible, medical staff must seek to utilise saver options such as booking trains in advance and booking hotels on the internet.

The expenses payable are as follows:

a) Travel – The lesser of public transport mileage, 2nd class rail fare – 24p per mile – and are subject to local service approval

b) Registration/Course Fees – Medical Education approval required

c) Subsistence – Up to:-

    £55.00 per night for bed and breakfast. b. up to £5.00 for lunch (12 noon – 2pm)

    Up to £15.00 for an evening meal (after 7pm) in the same 24 hour period

NB The above rates apply to international travel also. However, only one instance of international travel can be supported per year, subject to meeting relevant approval criteria.

For professional purposes within the United Kingdom - Up to 30 days leave (including off-duty days falling within the period of leave) with pay and expenses, in
three-year rolling period

Additional periods of overseas leave (in a 12 month period) - It is acknowledged that some medical staff, Consultants in particular, may request this due to the nature of their work. Where all expenses are met either via an Endowment Fund or by other identified external sources, approval may be given and the leave deducted from the 30 day entitlement.

Additional periods above the thirty days in three years - The Trust has the discretion to grant professional or study leave in the United Kingdom, over and above the 30-day limit:-

• with or without pay
• with or without expenses, or
• with some proportion thereof

MRCPsych modules - Support for these modules is limited, due to funding arrangements with Mersey Deanery. Additional modules will be self-funded, but applicants still need to claim for the time required

 NB Locum doctors will receive a pro rata entitlement based on length of contract for appropriate leave

Attending speciality courses within the Deanery - Day release with pay and expenses for the equivalent of one day a week during university terms

Other courses - Leave with pay and expenses up to a maximum of thirty days per year to undertake:-

• courses and conferences
• research
• exams
• visiting other departments

Relevant higher qualification as part of a structured training programme - In addition, leave with pay and expenses (except examination fees) for a maximum of two attempts to sit the qualification

Private study leave - Up to 5 days (including the day of the exam itself) additional private study leave per year, normally taken within one month prior to an examination, at the discretion of the DME

Additional periods above the thirty days in three years - The Trust has the discretion to grant professional or study leave in the United Kingdom, over and above the 30-day limit:

• with or without pay
• with or without expenses, or with some proportion thereof

Allocation - Up to £750 and 7 days per annum, plus one day per week for special interest/research – for 12 months placement

NB Non-training posts (Trust CTs) and Locum junior doctors, will not be entitled to funding for day release courses and expenses for examinations.

You will be notified of approval/non approval within 5 working days of receipt of the application, unless information is incomplete, in which case it will be returned to the applicant.

For Consultants and SAS Doctors - if your Lead Consultant approves the course and time off, your application will then be submitted to the Director of Medical Education for final approval.  Once you receive your approval letter from the Medical Education Department you can then book on the course.

1. Check applications are accurate, complete and relevant
2. Confirm that the applicant's mandatory training compliance matrix is up-to-date
3. The nature and cost of the event and any sponsorship received is appropriate
4. Service delivery is maintained e.g. where requests are received from medical staff rom the same specialty and location.
5. Submit to the Director of Medical Education for approval 6 weeks prior to the event

NB Incomplete information – Lead Consultants/Clinical Tutors should return applications to the applicant, as they will not be considered by the Medical Education Team.

Study leave applications which involve external sponsorship will be dealt with in line with the Trust’s procedure for Working with the Pharmaceutical Industry: Sponsorship for Study Leave and Medical Education, which relates to the receipt of sponsorship by individual medics, psychologists and non-medical prescribers and requires that any sponsorship is declared.

Where sponsorship is part of the study leave application, the following information is a mandatory requirement:-

• name of the sponsoring organisation
• nature of sponsorship, including:-
• amount and type of funding received
• cost of travel and accommodation
• programme objectives
• target audience
• venue

The applicant should confirm that they have read and are abiding by the Trust's Gifts and Gratuities policy in relation to the study leave application.

The Medical Education Team will send all Study Leave application forms which include external sponsorship to the Company Secretary who will update the Register of Receipt of Gifts, Hospitality and Sponsorship as appropriate (this document is a public document and is available on the intranet).

Applications will not be approved retrospectively and courses cannot be attended unless approval has been granted by the Director of Medical Education.  However, if approval is given by your Lead Consultant/Clinical Tutor to attend a course which hasn't yet been given approval by the Director of Medical Education and you decide to attend the course, there can be no guarantee that you will be able to re-claim the course fee through the Medical Education budget. 

Up to 5 days additional private study leave per year can be requested prior to a trainee taking exams (including exam day), normally taken within one month prior to an exam.

Professional Leave could be:

• An executive committee member of a nationally recognised professional body
• An examiner of a postgraduate thesis or of undergraduate or postgraduate medical students
• A member of a GMC visit
• Undertaking Royal College of Psychiatrists activities, e.g. attending an Advisory Appointments Committee
• A member of a regional committee
• Attending as office bearer / council member of a professional body
• Acting as a member of an audit / assessment panel for the Royal College or specialist society
• Attendance as an Office Bearer (the president, chairman, secretary of treasurer) at a meeting or a conference or a scientific body
• Attendance at Court as an expert witness where no fee is involve
• Teaching
• Visiting clinics
• Attending professional conferences

The above list is illustrative only. In all cases, permission should be sought, prior to any arrangement/agreement being reached, from the Director of Medical Education.

Applications will be considered from doctors who:

• provide evidence that they are up-to-date with Mandatory Training
• clearly demonstrate the link between business stream needs/job plan/appraisal/CPD/PDP objectives and the objectives of the course/event