Less Than Full Time Trainees (LTFTTs)

This page brings together guidance and policies that appear elsewhere on the website that are of particular relevance or interest to LTFTTs.  This page is still under construction and content will continue to be added.

Guidance on the number of WPBA tools for LTFTTs

• There have been an increasing number of queries about the assessment requirements for less than full time trainees, particularly regarding what represents the minimum evidence required to make an assessment of competency progression. This guidance seeks to explain the current position and the review process.

• We recognise that this is an area of concern for those in less than full time training, and that the requirements as they stand create a greater volume of assessments overall for less than full time trainees compared to their full time equivalent peers. The difficulty is reconciling the requirement for six months reviews (irrespective of full versus less than full time status) as detailed in the Gold Guide, with the minimum amount of evidence required to make a reasonable judgment of competency progression.

• If evidence is collected and presented for the six month review on a pro rata basis it may result in very infrequent assessment. For example,   ST1 & ST2 training at 50% full time equivalent, would require a judgement of competence progression based on 1½  (realistically 1 or 2) COTs or CbDs and ½ a MSF (which would either be with fewer respondents or not done). Judgements made on a small and less than complete evidence set are not considered valid.

• The RCGP continually evaluates its assessment processes and will keep the requirements for Workplace Based Assessment under review.  However, our current guidance remains that the educational review schedule for LTFTTs will remain the same and at the same intervals as full time trainees; namely every six months with annual reviews of competence progression (ARCP). This concurs with The Gold Guide recommendations.

• Less than full time trainees will be required to gather the same amount of evidence prior to their educational reviews as their full time equivalents. The review and assessment schedule should not be considered and collected on a pro rata basis.

• Legal advice sought by the RCGP confirms that this policy is not discriminatory to any group of trainees because it has been adopted for educational and psychometric reasons.