A work schedule is a document setting out the work commitments and training outcomes of your job.
It is a single source for all the information you need, from the details of your supervisors, your pay, your working hours and what training you will be doing. The work schedule contains a copy of the rolling rota that you will be working to.
The work schedule and rota will usually apply for the duration of a training placement and will identify the number and distribution of hours for which the doctor is contracted, and may be subject to review from time to time.
Generic work scheduling
The generic work schedule must be provided to a doctor, usually by medical staffing, at least 8 weeks prior to them starting a placement, as set out in the jointly agreed Code of Practice between the BMA, NHS Employers and HEE, to ensure that the doctor is informed of the work and range of duties that they are expected to undertake during the placement. This is separate to your personalised work schedule, which will specify your individualised duties (see below / further on for further information).
The generic work schedule will form the basis of a personalised work schedule, and will list:
- Intended learning outcomes
- Scheduled duties of the doctor, time for quality improvement and patient safety activities
- Periods of formal study (15 days available for those at FY1, 30 days available for all other grades)
- Number and distribution of hours for which the doctor is contracted
- Expected requirements to contribute to a duty roster and/or on-call rota for the safe provision of service
- Average total hours and the expected number of days leave
Details of all statutory and mandatory training that is required to work for an employer, or in a department, must be sent to doctors alongside their generic work schedule. These training requirements must then be arranged within a doctor’s rostered hours of work.
Examples
Duty rota
The duty rota must be provided to a doctor at least 6 weeks prior to them starting a placement, as set out in the jointly agreed Code of Practice between the BMA, NHS Employers and HEE, to ensure that the doctor is informed of the work and range of duties that are expected to be undertaken during the placement. The duty rota will be more detailed than the rolling rota and will contain the names of your colleagues, leave days and shift swaps.
If you are concerned about your rota’s compliance you can input it into the BMA rota checker.
Personalised work schedule
The generic work schedule will form the basis of a personalised work schedule.
The personalised work schedule shall add to the generic schedule the doctor’s personal objectives in training and service delivery. This must include adequate allocated time for the doctor to achieve all expected educational outcomes for the post.
The personalised work schedule must be agreed before or within four weeks after the commencement of the placement during scheduled hours of work. The personalised work schedule will be discussed and agreed at the first formal meeting between the educational supervisor (ES) for the placement and the doctor. If there is a failure to agree within the timeframe, the doctor should submit an exception report. This is further set out in the guidance.
The doctor and the ES are jointly responsible for personalising the work schedule, according to the doctor’s learning needs and the opportunities within the post, as well as other considerations such as caring responsibilities. There should be a minimum of an educational review and work schedule discussion at the start and finish of the placement for which the work schedule applies.
Work schedule discussions shall take place if either the employer or the doctor consider that the training opportunities, duties, responsibilities, accountability arrangements or objectives have changed significantly, or need to change significantly, or that the agreed objectives may not be achieved for reasons outside the doctor’s control during the placement.
The ES will make every effort to agree appropriate changes to the work schedule with the doctor, and to implement the changes within a reasonable time, taking into account the remaining duration of the post/placement. If it is not possible to reach agreement or achieve the agreed outcome the doctor may submit an exception report.
What happens if this is not met
We have had reports that employers are not meeting these deadlines. If this happens to you, please contact your employer immediately to seek an urgent update. If you struggle to get a response, contact the BMA which will produce an automatic report.
Exception reporting
Exception reports should be submitted if there are:
- differences in the total hours worked from those set out in the work schedule, including the prospective estimate of hours actually worked while non-resident on-call
- educational and training opportunities outlined in the personalised work schedule missed
- unresolved disagreements regarding the personalised work schedule.
Self-development time/supported professional activity
You are contractually entitled to self-development time / supported professional activity time as part of your rota. This is to allow you to undertake any work that is non-clinical work, as paid working time is required for this. Foundation Year 1 and Year 2 doctors are entitled to an average of 2 hours protected weekly time for personal development. This is a result of the foundation programme determining what this means as a minimum for those at a foundation level.
The principle applies equally to other training programmes/levels too, and work schedules should reflect any curriculum specific guidance from the relevant college/faculty that clarifies the appropriate amount of time, or otherwise include a reasonable estimate. Therefore, where a doctor is entitled to self-development time / supported professional activity, they should have dedicated time for this rostered within their personalised work schedule.
Any work that you need to do that’s not clinical is encompassed within this. You as a doctor have this right. If you are not getting it, exception report this and highlight it to your programme coordinator.
Less than full time work schedules
Each LTFT doctor must have a bespoke work schedule built for them The facilitation of bespoke work schedules is the responsibility of both the employer (or host organisation as locally agreed) and the doctor.
General practice registrar work schedules
The BMA, through its GP registrars committee, has agreed guidance with NHS Employers and COGPED on work scheduling for GP registrars, as well as a template and example work schedules. These reinforce important elements of the existing COGPED guidance about GP training, and are available on the NHS Employers website (under the 'Resources relating to GP training' section).
Occupational health adjustments
Each doctor provided with a written occupational health recommendation relating to the design of their rota or duty roster must have this discussed, mutually agreed and incorporated into its design as soon as possible, and within six weeks of the recommendation being provided. If this has not occurred, a written explanation must be provided in order to allow for the doctor to appeal such a decision.
Annual leave
A mechanism, to be locally agreed, should be in place for doctors to plan and submit leave requests prior to starting in a post. Should you submit a request with 6 weeks notice, the employer, where possible, responds positively to all leave requests, and shall normally agree to reasonable requests. Should you submit a request for leave for a life changing event with 6 weeks notice, the request will be approved.
If, due to circumstances beyond the doctor’s control, a reasonable request is made for leave outside the minimum six weeks’ notice period, then the employer will fairly consider this request while paying due regard to service requirements.