Less than full time training is accessible to doctors in training who have a well-founded reason for being unable to work full-time. In practice, the majority of LTFT trainees are women and men who wish to look after their young children for part of the week, and there are a small number who look after other family members. Also eligible are doctors who have physical or mental health problems (this may include those on in-vitro fertility programmes), who would like to continue their training but are unable to do so full-time. The national guidance on eligibility for Less than Full Time training is that the following groups are automatically eligible (Category 1):
- Parent of young child who wish to spend part of the week at home (up until their youngest child is 18 years old)
- People caring for an ill or disabled child, partner, relative or other dependent (eligibility granted for the duration of your training programme, or until the trainee wishes to return to full time training).
- People who are unable, for health reasons, to work full-time.