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All cases will be considered on an individual basis. However, the following non-exhaustive principles have been agreed as reasonable requests for transfer:
It is advisable to discuss your wish for Inter Deanery Transfer with your educational supervisor. Once you have done this, you will need to contact your deanery for an inter deanery transfer form. In order to request a transfer you will need to fill in all the details of your situation and verify that this information is the truth. Please ensure that all information is correct, as this may be a probity issue if it is later discovered to be false in any way.
You can apply for an IDT as soon as your situation arises, however, in most instances a transfer will not normally be considered prior to the trainee having spent 6 months in post and will not normally take place until the trainee has been in post for 1 year. Transfers within the first year after appointment will only be agreed by the postgraduate dean in exceptional circumstances and on a specific case-by-case basis.
Once you have handed in your IDT form it will be considered by your releasing deanery. If it is agreed that you can be released, the form will be forwarded to the receiving deanery. It has been agreed that all receiving deaneries will set up a panel to assess IDT requests. These panels will meet twice a year during what will be called the “transfer window” when the majority of agreed transfers will take place. Dates for the transfer window will be advertised widely.
If you are refused transfer by your current deanery, you are able to appeal by writing to the postgraduate dean and asking them to reconsider your case. If you are a BMA member, the BMA will be able to support you in your appeal. It is important to establish the reason for refusal; you will need to ensure that you fulfil the criteria for transfer prior to appealing.
It is envisaged that there will be two transfer windows per year. During this time all receiving deaneries will form a panel to assess incoming transfer requests. This panel will comprise of:
Urgent requests for transfer can be considered between the transfer window periods, but these would be highly exceptional cases only.
At the end of the transfer window all applicants will be informed in writing of their transfer. If a transfer has not been granted, the reason for this will be communicated in writing to the trainee within ten working days.
Your transfer may be declined for several reasons, it is important to establish why you have been refused in this instance. If you wish to appeal the transfer window decision, the appeal will be carried out by a panel including representatives from the deanery, a JDC representative and a lay person. This panel cannot include the same representatives as the transfer window panel. You will need to contact the deanery stating your reasons for appeal within ten working days.
It is important to establish the reason for refusal; you may not have been refused a transfer per se, but may have to wait for a vacancy to arise in the deanery.
There may be many reasons, it is important to gain clarification on why you have not been offered a transfer by the receiving deanery. Deaneries may have more transfer requests than posts available. If this is the case, the panel will assess each case and, depending on circumstance, some may be offered a transfer immediately, while others may have to go on a waiting list until a post becomes available.
Yes. You may be asked to give oral or written evidence. If attending an appeal, you may wish to be accompanied / supported by a friend or BMA representative.
You always have the option of applying in open competition to any vacancies that arise in your preferred deanery. When applying for posts you must be aware of your current notice period.
The care of a parent is considered a suitable reason for transfer. However, you will need to confirm that you are the primary carer for your parent.
Yes. As a transfer may take some time it is worth speaking to your educational supervisor in advance in order to discuss arrangements and a suitable point in your training to transfer. If you are both doctors, you may wish to consider who is the most appropriate candidate for transfer e.g. there may be more training opportunities available in one deanery than the other, or it may be easier for one partner to move at this point in their training.
Yes. This may be considered as an exceptional circumstance and so you should speak to your educational supervisor and postgraduate dean immediately. In exceptional circumstances the transfer window may be able to be avoided and a transfer arranged as soon as possible.
Yes. The most appropriate transfer in this case may be an intra-deanery transfer. This is where you move to a different location within the same deanery. You should contact your educational supervisor and postgraduate dean if this is the case. If you have been working in a deanery that is not near to your home, you may request an inter deanery transfer. You may be able to do this prior to the birth, so speak to your educational supervisor and postgraduate dean as soon as possible.
Yes. You will need to discuss the transfer with your education supervisor and illustrate how the move will improve your situation.
It is unlikely that you will be able to transfer to the West Midlands Deanery if you were unsuccessful in open competition, however, your partner may be able to request a transfer to the Peninsula Deanery. You both may wish to discuss your options with your educational supervisor and your postgraduate dean.
Unfortunately, the IDT scheme cannot be used to apply for a specific post in another region. If you wish to transfer due to personal choice rather than because you fulfil one of the criteria listed above, you should continue to apply through open competition.
There are already systems in place for those wishing to undertake out of programme experiences/research. Please discuss the existing mechanisms for this with your educational supervisor.
It is important that the scheme is managed by Deans who have an overview of all the cases of trainees needing to transfer, and can prioritise all those cases according to need.
In the majority of circumstances you will need to have passed your most recent appraisal in order for your transfer to be agreed. However, in exceptional circumstances your postgraduate dean may approve a transfer if they feel your training would be improved by your move to another deanery. This would also have to be acceptable to the receiving dean.
Yes. The National Recruitment Office will no longer handle transfers for GP trainees and all trainees will be expected to follow the same procedure via their deanery.
This scheme is being piloted in England, Scotland and Wales. The pilot period runs until December 2009. Northern Ireland have decided not to participate in the pilot.