The purpose of this page is to provide guidance and information to Heads of School [HoS], Training Programme Directors [TPD] and Educational Supervisors [ES] about the General Medical Council [GMC] Programme & Site approval processes.
One of the jobs of the GMC is to approve new training programmes and new training sites. They do this by working with NHSE local teams and with Local Education Providers [eg NHS Trusts & Hospitals] to ensure that the training programme and the site meets GMC standards.
A full list of approved programmes and sites is published by the GMC on their website.
Within NHSE – Thames Valley Team, the Quality Team are responsible for overseeing this area of work.
New programme approval
All programmes for doctors in training must be GMC approved before they can be delivered within NHSE-TV and it is the responsibility of the HoS and TPD to ensure that all approval has been granted before trainees begin their training in the new programme.
It is important to note that the Quality Team do not have oversight of post funding. Discussions relating to how the new programme will be funded must be had with the NHSE-TV Business Manager
Set out below is the process for getting a new programme approved.
- To apply for GMC approval for a new programme please complete section two of this form and return to this inbox
- When creating a new programme, endorsement from the relevant royal college or faculty must be sought. The Quality Team will do this on your behalf but may request further information from you depending on the individual processes of the college or faculty
New Site Approval
GMC location approval will need to be in place before trainees begin. The GMC will not retrospectively approve locations so the time spent by trainees in unapproved training sites may not count towards the award of a CCT.
Please ensure that all training sites are GMC approved:
- if the doctor in training is at the location for more than two sessions / one day per a week.
- for each separate training programme e.g. foundation, Core, General Practice and specialty
- for the level of the doctors that are training at each site e.g. core, higher
- for NHSE Thames Valley (Oxford deanery) trainees (even if the site has location approval for training by other deaneries)
- for each sub-specialty programme where trainees are gaining competencies in which they will CCT.
Example 1, a Paediatric Emergency Medicine department may have trainees in Emergency Medicine (and therefore will need to be approved for Emergency Medicine) and/or trainees in Paediatric Emergency Medicine (and therefore require location approval for Paediatric Emergency Medicine)
Example 2, a general internal medicine/geriatric medicine doctor in training is due to start in a new location covering general medicine. Approval will be needed for General (internal) Medicine. Approval will also be required for geriatric medicine if they will be gaining competencies in both specialties.
To request the approval of a new site please complete this form and return to this inbox.
Site Removal
To request the removal of a site please complete section three of this form, indicating that you wish to remove the site, and return to this inbox.