Study Leave

General Information

GP Registrars in their general practice year you are entitled to 30 days study leave per year with additional time allowed to take one postgraduate exam. Study leave may only be taken with prior approval from your trainer/supervisor.

Study Leave Entitlement

The Postgraduate School reimburses course fees from a cash limited budget. ST2s in six months General Practice placements can claim £200. ST3s cam claim up to £400 for the 12 months spent in General Practice. (£200 per 6 months in General Practice). Therefore the maximum is £600 and depends on the amount of time spent in General Practice.

Procedure for Reimbursement

• Download and complete a study leave application form. This must be signed by your educational supervisor.
• Ideally we would like to receive your application before the date of the course, especially if the course you wish to attend is outside Wales as it should be pre approved by the Sub-Dean. However we must receive your application no later than 8 weeks after the course date.
• The original receipt needs to be attached to this form as proof of payment of the course fee. If the receipt is not available before you attend the course you must submit it to the Department after you have attended the course.
• You should post your completed study leave application to the address on the form.
• Reimbursement cannot be processed until after the date of the course.
• Please allow approximately 6 – 8 weeks for reimbursement.

Study Leave Allowance

GP Registrars in their general practice year you are entitled to 30 days study leave per year with additional time allowed to take one postgraduate exam. Study leave may only be taken with prior approval from your trainer/supervisor.

The following are not usually part of the study leave allowance:

• Bleep-free teaching time within the Health Board in which the trainee is based and NHS initiatives such as Audit, CEPOD half days.
• Leave to sit examinations necessary for the career advancement of the trainee in his/her chosen specialty. Usually only two attempts are permitted. Travel expenses may be funded from the study leave budget but not usually for overseas examinations or diplomas. Examination fees are not reimbursable.

The following will normally be part of the allowance:

• Attendance at Deanery half-day or day release courses including ‘Regional Teachings’ which take the trainee away from service is counted as part of the entitlement, e.g. when all the SpRs in the specialty travel to one central Health Board or University Department for postgraduate teaching. This will include trainees working in the central Health Board provided they are out of service for the duration of the training day or half day.
• Time for private study e.g. to prepare for an examination or to write up research. This will be limited and would not exceed 5 days prior to an examination or diploma and negotiable in respect of any research writing up.
• In the interests of equity between specialties and training rotations, weekly half-day or full-day sessions for research or private study recommended by Colleges and Faculties should be counted as part of the trainees’ study leave allowance. Trainees should provide evidence of objectives and outcomes having been achieved.
• The time allocation for study leave relates to the number of working days missed over the leave period of 30 days. Weekends should only be counted when they coincide with a duty period.

Travel and Subsistence

If you wish to claim travel and subsistence - this is refunded by the Business Service Centre. You may claim up to £300 in one year. For attendance at some courses prior approval is required before you can claim your T&S. If you wish to attend a course that is outside a 50 mile radius of the Surgery but within Wales you must get the prior permission of your Trainer. If you wish to attend a course outside Wales you must use this form to get approval from the Sub-Dean before you attend the course. The form will be copied to the Health Authority approving your claim for travel and subsistence.

Contact Details

Department of Postgraduate Education for General Practice 8^th Floor,
Neuadd Meirionnydd
Cardiff University, Heath Park
Cardiff
CF14 4YS

E-mail: GP Training Wales