Career flexibility: supporting choices for doctors

Flexible training continues to be popular with those doctors who are unable to train full time for personal reasons such as those with health needs or those who need to care for others including young children. If you are interested in flexible training you will need to speak to your local deanery who will be able to put you in touch with the associate postgraduate dean who advises on flexible training. It is generally best to have a discussion with this person prior to applying for posts as the process can be quite complex and often requires a considerable period of time.

Looking to the future

Be aware that changes are afoot and funding for flexible training is currently under review. Until recently most posts were supernumerary and were funded separately from a flexible training budget. Flexible trainees took part in the on-call rota and were paid a suitable banding supplement by the trust. However, there have been problems with this system as funds are being withdrawn across the board and trusts have found it increasingly difficult to fund the out of hours work of supernumerary doctors.

Moving to a new system

As a result the medical profession is moving towards a system that will be based around job-shares. This will involve doctors being appointed competitively to specialty training posts and then being linked together to share one post between them. Whilst this will mean that timetables may be less flexible, there will still be opportunity for doctors to be able to work around their personal commitments and work hours that are appropriate to their needs. The job-share will cover the on-call/outof- hours duties of the post. 

Doctors may need to swap in and out of partnerships due to changes in their circumstances but essentially doctors should be able to train in a less than full-time post for as much of their training period as they wish to. There will be benefits to the flexible training posts no longer being supernumerary. The change will help make flexible trainees feel more integrated: in the past some felt that they were not actually part of the team as they were additional to the workforce. There will definitely be further developments in the months to come so check with your deanery for the most up-to-date information. 

Dr Ros Roden is associate dean for careers and personal development at the Yorkshire Deanery and a consultant in accident and emergency at St James's University Hospital.

More information

• NHS Employers
• NHS Professionals
• Visit the website of your local deanery for information on flexible training in your region.
• The websites of the Medical Royal Colleges have information on flexible training in particular specialties.