Local swap processes for your Foundation School must be followed and you must ensure you programme meets the requirements of the UKFPO.

Only one person within the swap needs to complete the application form which can be accessed here as both applicants, along with the Foundation School Director and FTPD or Supervisor will be kept up to date with the progress of the application.


Local (within Trusts) Swap Process:

The paper forms have now been replaced by an electronic application which can be accessed via the Support Portal.

This process permits foundation doctors to apply to swap either a single rotation or their whole 1-year programme with another foundation doctor within the same Trust.

If a more complex swap is planned, eg between 3 or 4 doctors, please summarise:

  • which doctors wish to be involved (name and e mail address)
  • all their existing programmes (sites and posts)
  • their proposed final 2-year programmes

and submit this as an attachment with the request.

If you are an incoming or new F1 doctor planning a future swap in F2 please be aware that programmes sometimes do need to change for service or other reasons.

It is not possible to swap the entire F1 year.

 

Swaps of the entire F2 year between trusts (‘swap shop’)

It is intended to run the swap shop for the 2019 entry cohort of F1s, subject to the outcome of the Foundation and HEE Reviews.  If so it will be held in early 2020, with detailed guidance being sent out by e mail to all F1s.  Late registrations will not be accepted.

 

Educational balance:

All programmes are designed to be educationally balanced and provide exposure to a range of specialties during the two years of the programme. All 2-year programmes should include a community placement.  

London and KSS guidance for maintaining educational balance is set out below.

Your two-year programme should contain no more than:

  • 8 months in a surgical specialty
  • 8 months in a community specialty
  • 4 months in a psychiatry placement

You cannot repeat a community specialty (e.g. GP, community paediatrics) but it may be possible to repeat one medical, surgical, or other sub-specialty, depending on availability of posts.

A guidance document which categorises specialties by medical, surgical, other, and community is on the right had side of this page.


Code of Practice


The Code of Practice aims to improve the experience of doctors in training, and includes a provision about information being provided to trainees and employers at least 12 weeks in advance.  In order to comply, all swaps must therefore be submitted via the Portal no less than 4 months before the planned date of the swap, and swaps of the first 4-month placement in the F1 year are not permitted.

Once doctors have submitted a swap request via the Portal it is not possible to withdraw the request.