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Midlands Deanery FY2 Swaps Policy

This policy covers both East Midlands and West Midlands Foundation Resident Doctors

 

The Midlands Deanery recognises that over the course of their programme, Foundation Doctors may wish for changes in their allocated specialties. We are therefore happy to facilitate swaps of a doctor’s allocated F2 year, where possible, according to the following policy.

(Please note that whilst this swaps window is the only opportunity for you to request a swap, sometime swaps to your programme may be needed for things like ARCP outcomes, health related adjustments or due to time out of programme)

This is an opt-in process; the link to the opt-in MS form will be circulated by e-mail on 16/12/2024 and will close on 06/01/2025 at 16:00. All applications will be assessed by a panel of FSDs and the outcome communicated to doctors by Early March (exact date TBC).

Key points:

  • Current Foundation Year 1 doctors (Excluding FPP) will be given the opportunity to apply for a Foundation Year 2 rotation swap
  • You must apply using the email address we have recorded on TIS (this is the e-mail address this has been sent to)
  • Swaps must be agreed between two eligible Resident Doctors, there is no opportunity to swap into a vacant post.

 

  • Only one swap is allowed per Resident Doctor, and it can be either:
    • Swapping 1 placement: This can only be within the original F2 trust, and must be for the same calendar period.
    • Swapping the entire F2 year: This can be either within the current F2 trust or to a different Trust (but within the same school).

 

  • Any programmes allocated must be compliant with the usual rules governing a Foundation training programme. We consider balanced 2-year programmes to have the following elements:
    • Not contain any post repeats
    • Have a balanced mix of medical and surgical posts
    • Must contain one community placement of the foundation programme, if that school can facilitate. (GP, Psychiatry, GUM, Palliative Medicine in hospice, Occupational Medicine, or Public Health)
    • Ideally not repeat medicine or surgery twice within a single year of training
  • There is a separate application form for each Foundation School; applicants must only fill out the application form for the Foundation School their F2 year will take place under.
  • Please note that late applications won’t be considered, nor will any requests to update specialty preferences after the deadline. In the interests of fairness, anyone withdrawing their application once the window has closed will result in that whole swap being cancelled.

 

 

Opt-in Process

The F2 swaps process will be opt-in to ensure we only share the data of Resident Doctors who have consented. An email to all F1s will be sent asking them to opt-in prior to the application window opening.

  • If you opt in, then your name, email address, and your allocated F2 programme will be shared with all other participants in your foundation school.
  • This means we will provide a list of only those Resident Doctors and their F2 programmes who have opted in to assist you. Please note that it is your responsibility to apply for and arrange a swap.
  • Doctors are directed to arrange swaps with one another. Direct swaps (either 1 placement, or whole year) between two doctors are the only option.

Please only submit your swap request form to the Foundation inbox once both F1s have agreed to the swap. This will ensure only the final version is submitted to the panel.

Please further ensure that both affected F1s are copied into the final submission, to avoid any misunderstanding of what has been agreed, and ensure that only one submission is made per swap. Failure to do so may result in the swap being rejected.

Any suspicion of coercion will result in the swap being rejected.

 

Please send all enquiries to the Foundation Team inbox: england.foundationprogrammes.midlands@nhs.net

 

Timeline

  • 16 December 2024– dissemination of policy via EMAIL and WEBSITE, and Opt-in link https://forms.office.com/e/h562HjG533
  • Opt in Via MS Form open from 16 December 2024 closing 06 January 2025 at 16:00
  • 07 January 2025 all opt in applicants will be emailed to confirm their participation before distribution.
  • By 10 January 2025, participants will receive an e-mail containing spreadsheet of involved F1’s on a school by school basis, including the appropriate Swaps Form.
  • 03 February 2025 at 16:00 – swap submissions close.
  • Early March 2025 – Participants informed of Outcomes (exact date TBC).
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