Intra-Deanery Transfers
The following information summarises the rules for transfers between deaneries. It is an extract from the "gold guide", the Reference Guide for Postgraduate Specialty Training in the UK....
6.89 `Requests for an inter-deanery transfer will only be considered where there
has been a significant change in a trainee’s situation which could not have
been foreseen at the time of appointment to their current post.
6.90 Whilst it is possible for trainees to move between Deaneries (inter-deanery
transfers) there is no automatic entitlement or right for this to take place.
Trainees will be expected to show they have well-founded reasons for
wishing to move. Movement is at the discretion of the Postgraduate
Dean/Director of Postgraduate General Practice Education.
Details of the current process together with a detailed timetable are set out
on deanery websites. The arrangements for transfer apply to both full-time
trainees and trainees working less than full-time.
6.91 It important that trainees give as much notice as possible to their current
Postgraduate Dean that they are seeking a transfer and adhere to the
transfer window timelines in place. Transfers will only be considered during
two time periods “windows” each year – March and October. The timing of
these windows allows trainees, who may be required to give 3 months notice
sufficient time to do so if transferring to posts commencing in August and
February.
6.92 Start dates for posts will be agreed between transferring/receiving deaneries
and trainees. Requests to transfer will not be considered outside of these
windows, except in very exceptional circumstances.
6.93 Deaneries will accept transfer requests within the first year of appointment to
the current post but the transfer itself would not be considered appropriate,
unless in very exceptional circumstances, until after 12 months in the
appointed post. Trainees requesting transfer must meet one or more of the
criteria for transfer detailed in the process document – e.g significant life
event, caring responsibilities, committed relationship.
6.94 Inter-deanery transfers are not appropriate for:
• educational or training reasons: Deaneries should provide a
full range of programmes and placements for the specialties in
which they offer training, or have formal arrangements for doing
so which are not dependent on ad-hoc transfer arrangements
• secondment to a different Deanery: such moves would be
planned to fit in with the agreed training programme and training
availability. Trainees would keep their original training number
• rotation between Deaneries as part of a planned training
programme: this arrangement applies in some specialties and
across some Deaneries because of local arrangements3 of 112
• undertaking research in a different Deanery: trainees given
permission by their Postgraduate Dean to take time out of a
programme to undertake research will retain their training
number, even if research takes place in a different Deanery.
Trainees will have no entitlement to transfer subsequently to the
Deanery in which they have been doing their research but will
need to go through either the inter-deanery request process (and
meet the requirements of eligibility) or through a competitive
process.
6.95 Where trainees wish to move to another Deanery for any other reason, or if
their request to transfer is not supported and they still wish to move to the
other deanery, they will have to compete for a place in a specialty training
programme in the receiving Deanery through the normal application process.
6.96 Where trainees wish to pursue a CCT in a different specialty, that is, to
transfer to a different training programme - whether in the same or a different
Deanery - a new training number will only be awarded in competition with
others seeking entry to the training programme.