Study Leave

***UPDATE***

With effect from 14th February 2023, all postgraduate doctors and dentists (excluding FY1) in training will use Accent Leave Manager (ALM) to apply for their study leave. Please note this will replace the exisitng paper application process with immediate effect. 

There is a suite of supporting information on our website. On these pages you will find user-guides, frequently asked questions and links to our study leave guidance documents.

Account Activation

To activate your user account, click the Forgotten Password link on the login page: https://accent.hicom.co.uk/Portal/Live/Web/

Your username on Accent Leave Manager is the email address that you have registered with HEE and held on the Trainee Information System (TIS). This is also the email address at which you have received this email. If you need to change the email address you have registered with HEE, please contact the Programme Support team for your school noting your full name, GMC/GDC number, and preferred e-mail address.

A password reset link will then be emailed to you from NoReply@hicom.co.uk – you will need to check your junk/spam folder as your email provider may filter the email.

Existing Applications

If you have an existing study leave application that was fully approved prior to the rollout (14 Feb 2023), please be assured that this will be honoured and it is not necessary to replicate the application in ALM.

Regional Teaching

When entering the event details for your application, the events list includes an option for Regional Teaching. Regional teaching is any mandatory study day, course or conference organised by your Training Programme or School.

Declaration – Supervisor and Rota Coordinator Approval

You must only submit a study leave application on ALM once you have agreement for the time off from your rota coordinator and once your supervisor has agreed that the course/event is educationally appropriate. We have received some applications where the declaration has been ticked but the comments indicate that these conversations have not yet taken place. Unfortunately, if we receive applications like this then it will be cancelled by the approver and you will be expected to re-submit the application in ALM once agreement has been given by your rota coordinator and supervisor.

Expenses

ALM is a platform for processing your study leave application and in order for your application to be complete you must include any estimated costs in the expenses section. Expense claims will not be authorised unless the estimated costs were included on your study leave application. If you have omitted any estimated costs on your application form, please contact Medical Education.

ALM is NOT linked to payroll. Therefore after the event you will need to use your organisation’s expenses portal to request reimbursement. Expense claims will be processed by Medical Education in line with HEE’s national study leave guidance. Medical Education will record the actual amounts reimbursed against your application in ALM. HEE do not have access to trust expenses systems so please contact your Trust if you have any queries about expenses.

The majority of queries can be answered on our website so please be sure to check there in there in the first instance. If you experience any other technical problems or require any additional support with using Leave Manager, please contact the HEE Yorkshire and Humber study leave team on studyleave.yh@hee.nhs.uk. Alternatively, call in and talk to the Medical Education team in the postgraduate centre.

Study Leave Entitlement

You are entitled to 30 days study leave per year (pro rata). This includes attendance at HDR and Modular Day Courses. In addition to these we aim to facilitate your attendance at extra courses relevant to the GP curriculum. Attendance at these is generally easier to organise during your GP posts. From the scheme’s educational budget we will endeavour to fund the following for each trainee during the course of their scheme: 

• a local AKT preparation course.
• a local SCA preparation course. 
• an additional curriculum relevant course on one occasion during the scheme. 

If you want to attend a course you need to: 

1. Arrange cover for your absencet: in a hospital post, this means liaising with your peers. In a GP post, this means liaising with the practice manager. 

2. Fill out a study leave application/approval form and submit on ALM assigning to the TPD responsible for study leave. Forms must be submitted as far in advance as possible and no later than 6 weeks prior to the proposed leave.  Time off for study leave must be agreed by your Trainer/Hospital Consultant and the Practice Manager/Rota Coordinator. 

3. If study leave is approved, go ahead and pay for the course yourself. If study leave is not approved a brief explanation will be provided. 

4. When the course is over, then fill out an expenses claim form, which helps you to reclaim what you’ve paid. Claim forms must be submitted as soon as possible after the study leave has been completed. Claims submitted after a 3 month period has elapsed will NOT be eligible for payment. Claim forms will not be processed unless accompanied by receipts. Forward the completed forms to studyleave@bthft.nhs.uk who will forward the claim to payroll on your behalf. 

If you are travelling via your own vehicle, travel expenses can be calculated at 0.28p per mile. A receipt is not required for this. Fuel is not reimbursed and parking receipts are classed as subsistence.

5. Reimbursement – Once your Expenses Claim Form and receipts have been checked and verified, your claim form will be referred to the Postgraduate Medical Education Lead for final sign off and then to payroll for reimbursement.

Payroll will include reimbursement in your pay for the current month. If your Expenses Claim Form is submitted after the roll over date, your reimbursement will be included in the next month’s pay.

For any queries regarding payment, please contact Payroll directly on 01274 251 000 or expenses.payroll@bdct.nhs.uk

WHAT TYPES OF ADDITIONAL COURSES WILL BE FUNDED? 

Because of limited resources, we are unable to promise funding for any specific courses. The current priority for funding is for LOCAL courses where the educational activity: 

1. Prepares you for the requirements of MRCGP 

2. Tackles an essential component of being a GP 

Educational activities to pursue your personal learning interests or development towards a potential role as a GPwER will not be given. So, essentially you need to decide whether to pursue going on an additional course in the knowledge that reimbursement of your expenses may not be honoured. 

A simple way of doing this is to decide whether FOR YOU, you think the course is a) absolutely necessary and essential or b) simply interesting and desirable. But again, remember, even if you decide to go on the grounds that you feel for you it is absolutely necessary and essential, reimbursement is still not guaranteed. 

For additional curriculum relevant courses we ask you to put a proposal to the TPD team as to how the course will help you address your specific identified learning needs and also to confirm that it has the support of your clinical or educational supervisor. 

EXAM/EXAM-PREPARATION LEAVE 

• Exam preparation leave
• The practice or trust may allow leave to prepare for an (AKT or SCA) exam. A total of up to 5 days in total may be approved during training. Requests need to be made to the relevant CS/department at leats 6 weeks prior to the date of leave.