Leave and Absence

Doctors should request annual leave electronically to the service line or rota co-ordinator with a minimum six weeks’ notice. You are encouraged to give as much as notice as possible in booking leave. There is no upper time limit to giving requests for leave.

The service line will have agreed and published numbers of doctors allowed away on annual and study leave at any one time based on a fully staffed rota. This number will guide the agreeing of study and annual leave irrespective of the number of rota gaps and unfilled posts.  It is therefore particularly important to give as much notice as possible if intend to apply to take over two working weeks of annual leave at one time. We recommend not booking any travel or accommodation until you have had a response to your annual leave request.

Resident Doctors

The annual leave allowance for a full-time junior doctor based on a standard working week of five days on first appointment to the NHS is 27 days plus 8 days for pubic holidays

SAS Doctors and Consultants

• A Consultant’s or Associate Specialists leave allowance is based upon 6 weeks annual leave, 2 days NHS statutory days and 8 days for public holidays

• A Speciality or Specialist doctors leave allowance is based upon 6 weeks annual leave, 2 days NHS statutory days and 8 days for public holidays

Maternity Leave in the UK is up to 52 weeks and is made up of:

• Ordinary Maternity Leave - first 26 weeks

• Additional Maternity Leave - last 26 weeks

You must notify the Trust in writing at least 15 weeks before your due date to confirm when you want to start your maternity leave as well as provide a MATB1 certificate which will be issued by your midwife or GP approximately 20 weeks before your due date.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid for up to 39 weeks by the Government. Those eligible will get:

• 90% of your average weekly earnings (before tax) for the first 6 weeks

• £187.18 or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks

• To qualify for SMP you must: earn on average at least £125 a week, notify the Trust in writing of your pregnancy at least 15 weeks before your due date, provide a MATB1 certificate and have worked for your employer continuously for at least 26 weeks continuing into the ‘qualifying week’ - the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. Find out about continuous employment

If you have 2 months continuous service with one or more NHS employers at the beginning of the 11th week before the baby is due (also known as the expected week of confinement), you may be entitled to Occupational Maternity Pay. This equals 8 weeks full pay, followed by 18 weeks at half average pay plus SMP, or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower and the remaining 13 weeks at SMP.

If you do not qualify for SMP or Occupational Maternity Pay, we recommend contacting the Citizen's Advice service to see if there are any other financial support options available to you through the government. Contact Citizen's Advice

The Trust is committed to supporting its employees to improve and maintain their health and wellbeing in order that they attend work regularly and are productive in delivering a quality service whilst at work.

If you are too ill to come to work, you should telephone your immediate manager or designated person as soon as possible; which should be discussed with you during your local departmental induction. The timescale for reporting their absence should be in line with the local procedure in your department (again, provided during your local departmental induction) and a minimum of an hour before the start of your shift.

You should provide them with information on:

• the reason for absence, commencement date of illness (including weekend or bank holiday) and indicate anticipated length of absence;

• what actions you are taking to mitigate the illness, e.g. GP visit;

• if appropriate, what elements of work need to be addressed by colleagues during sickness absence;

• indicate whether or not it is the result of an accident at work or work related

You will need to provide either:

• Self Certification Sickness Form, which will be provided by your line manger (for 1-7 days of sickness); or

• Statement of Fitness for Work – ‘Fit Note' (for 8 days or more of sickness).

The Trust supports the learning and development of its doctors through providing access to study leave during their employment. The amount of time and claimable expenses you can access differs depending on what role you are employed in.

• Foundation Year 1 Doctors in Training: Doctors employed in an NHSe Foundation training programme as a Foundation Year 1 trainee are not entitled to apply for study leave as this time is pre-allocated for mandatory training by the Foundation Training Team. Find out more about Foundation Doctors in Training study leave

• Foundation Year 2 Doctors in Training: Doctors employed in an NHSe Foundation training programme as a Foundation Year 2 trainee have some study leave pre-allocated - 1 day SIM, 5 days of tasters, 3 days of GP set learning days (if undertaking a GP placement), 2 days ALS and 5 days foundation teaching. Foundation Year Two doctors can also apply for up to a further 17 days (14 days, if undertaking a GP placement) study leave per contract year pro rata. Claimable expenses vary depending on what courses you apply to attend and your portfolio progress. Find out more about Foundation Doctors in Training study leave

• Doctors in Training (Above Foundation Year 2): Doctors employed as part of an NHSe training programme can apply for up to 30 days study leave per contract year pro rata. Claimable expenses vary depending on your training programme, level of training and what courses you apply to attend. Find out more about NHSe Study Leave

• Locally Employed Doctors: Resident doctors employed directly by the Trust can apply for up to 30 days study leave per contract year pro rata and up to £577 in related expenses. Find out more about Trust Grade or Locally Employed Doctors study leave

• SAS Doctors and Consultants: Senior Medical Staff employed with the Trust can apply for up to 30 days over a 3 year period with a cap of £750 per event in related expenses. Please find more details here: Find out more about Senior Medical Staff study leave

All study leave needs to be applied for through the PGMC team in advance of attending any course/learning event and must provide approval from relevant parties before being submitted.