VTS Half Day Release Course Study Leave
During SHO posts your Consultant is expected to release you for the Wednesday afternoons when the course is running.
You are entitled to 30 days of study leave annually whether in hospital or in General Practice. The course will account for 30 half days of your annual study leave allowance leaving 15 whole days for other study activities.
The GP registrar half day is on Thursdays
Big Six Courses
These are the recommended GP courses to complete during your VTS training.
- Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults
- Family planning theory and practical
- Minor Surgery
RCGP Courses
The RCGP provide a wide range of high-quality online events to support their members’ continuing professional development. Topics cover a broad range of clinical, wellbeing and developmental themes for GPs at all stages of their career.
Other Courses
Some GPRs also study for speciality diplomas. None of these are essential for General Practice and time spent studying for them may interfere with other personal learning goals.
- DCH
- DRCOG
- DGM
Study Leave Budget – ST1& ST2 Posts
Currently each year as an ST you are allocated £800 (Inclusive of fees/travel & subsistence expenses) to spend on courses. This money is administered by the hospital trust. Before being granted study leave your consultant or educational supervisor will need to see your PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN to support your choice of study. We recommend that you use this plan for an overview of your VTS study.
Study Leave Budget – General Practice Year
The Vocational training scheme is allocated a budget based on how many GPRs are in General Practice on 1st April each year. There is no budgetary allowance for GP SHOs although we always include them in our half-day release teaching This budget is used to provide teaching on Wednesdays and Thursdays and includes the cost of, any outside resources or visits and residentials. Some of the above courses are centrally funded by the London Deanery, please check on the deanery website.
Personal Learning Plans
All doctors are now required to produce personal learning plans as part of the appraisal process. Developing a strategy early in your GP training for how you will use your study leave time and money effectively can ensure that your Consultants Trainers and Course Organisers help you to get the best out of your training programme and resources. The plan can be very simple to begin with. We would like you to use it every time you negotiate for study leave as an ST in hospital or in General Practice. It will also be discussed at your individual tutorials with your Course Organiser or group leader.