1. Welcome to the South Thames Foundation School
Information for F1 Trainees
August 2011

2. STFS 1 school, 3 offices 1 advice e mail – enquiries@stfs.org.uk
Enquiries checked daily and relevant staff will respond
Policies on STFS website
The offices are at Tooting, Brighton and London Bridge – the same advice e mail is used for all and responded to by the most appropriate individual

3. What is the role of STFS in your training?
Brighton – F2 allocation and sign-off
London Bridge – policy and communications
Tooting – F1 allocation and sign-off
Trainees needing to meet STFS staff can attend local office

4. New website– easier to navigate including search function, and lots of information

5. STFS communications
You must maintain e mail address and check it weekly – do not auto-forward as original e mail service may close
STFS currently recommends Doctors.net.uk as available in all trusts – if you use another you must inform STFS and ensure functioning (avoid hotmail etc as spam filters block STFS mails)
Enables information about GMC registration, careers etc to be sent out - to help you
STFS bulletins sent regularly – also available on website
All new information also on STFS website
Please do check the information sent regularly so you don’t miss anything

6. An example of one of the bulletins

7. National information www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk
Curriculum
Reference Guide (national policies)
Other information

8. e-LFH e-lfh.org.uk e learning modules for foundation
useful to support your experiential learning, eg Safe Prescribing
to catch up if you miss a teaching session
user names / passwords will be sent to you
User names and passwords should have been supplied for all of your foundation doctors. E-LFH is now changing to a new learning management platform which means that this won’t now be available for new F1s until the end of September.

9. Your trust should provide you with:
Appropriate learning experience
3 hours+/ week bleep-free education eg teaching sessions, teaching ward rounds, clinics etc
Training compliant with European working time regulations (EWTR)
Educational supervision
Access to careers advice / guidance
Representation at local faculty group via elected F1 representative

10. Protecting patients (and you) F1 doctors must NOT
Site mark (except under direct supervision by the operator)
Prescribe or administer cytotoxic or immunosuppressant drugs (except corticosteroids)
Inject contrast unless trained to do so
Detailed document on roles and responsibilities of foundation doctors on the STFS website

11. Consent
Taking consent is the responsibility of the doctor performing the procedure
If a FD is not capable of carrying out a procedure, s/he may only obtain consent for it when trained to do so, directly supervised, and under delegation from the experienced doctor carrying out that procedure
This refers to procedures which the F2 doctor is NOT competent to undertake

12. Protecting yourself (and patients)
Flu vaccine
Reduces sick leave (and pressure on colleagues)
Will be available via Occupational Health
Is much less unpleasant than genuine influenza

13. F1 sign-off (1) in order to achieve GMC registration you must:
Have no more than 4 weeks non-statutory leave in the year (if more is likely, contact STFS)
Attend at least 70% of your F1 teaching sessions
Attend a day of simulation training
Arrangements have been made to ensure that a day of simulation training is available for all F1 doctors in STFS, whether in London or KSS Deanery

14. F1 sign-off (2) you must:
Possess a valid intermediate life support (ILS or equivalent) certificate or record of attendance
Complete required assessments satisfactorily*:
6+ mini-CEX
6+ CBDs
3 DOPS
1-2 multi-source feedbacks
*assessments should be spread throughout the year, with 5+ in each 4/12 rotation and 8 to be done by January
STFS videos about assessments are on
FY1 doctors may not be able to rank their F2 programmes unless they have completed 8 assessments by January

15. F1 sign-off (3) you must:
Maintain your e-portfolio, and include evidence that you:
can carry out procedures required by the GMC (a logbook of the procedures is part of e-portfolio)
meet other curriculum and statutory requirements such as child protection training
have your skill in teaching / making a presentation assessed (yearly form)
Child protection training is a national and SHA imperative. The level gained should be appropriate to the posts carried out by the foundation doctor.
A “Safe Guarding Children and Young People – Level 1” module will be available on the e-Learning for Healthcare system from August 2009 –

16. F1 sign-off (4)
You must:
Engage with quality management processes. Feedback is essential to monitor and improve medical training.
This includes completing
The GMC national online trainee survey, which assesses the quality of your training
Local end of placement questionnaire(s) – via e-portfolio
It is also strongly recommended that you carry out a leadership project – documentation on e-portfolio
It doesn’t take long In fact it’s much quicker to do it than write lots of e mails disputing the need to do it

17. F1 sign-off list of skills to perform competently and teach undergraduates
Venepuncture /IV cannulation
Use of local anaesthetics
Arterial puncture (adult)
Blood cultures
Injection (SC/ID/IM/IV)
Prepare and give IV meds, blood and blood products
IV infusions inc. fluids, blood and blood products
Perform and interpret ECG, spirometry and peak flow
Urethral catheterisation (male and female)
Airway care
NG tube insertion
The F2 presentation contains a slide that refers to “List of Skills Required for F1 Sign-off”.  Please note that this is not a mistake.  The Foundation Programme Curriculum (2007) requires F2 doctors to maintain and improve their skills in the procedures required by the GMC for successful completion of F1.  By the end of F2, Foundation Doctors should be able to help others with difficult procedures and guide F1 Doctors in teaching others.  We should be grateful if you would remind them of this during the presentation.

18. And if I am not signed off?
Arrangements will depend on circumstances
Remedial training
Repeat entire year
Repeat part of year
Spend 2-4 weeks at start of F2 as an F1

19. Asking for advice about your training
Usually ask locally first, eg your educational supervisor or FTPD
STFS need to know if it may affect your training programme, eg:
You have been or need to be away, for example for illness or maternity leave
You wish to work abroad
You have special circumstances and need to move to another foundation school
You are having problems with your training
If so please check the policy and deadlines on and contact

20. Feedback to STFS
Foundation programme trainee representative at all trusts – can raise issues locally
Trainee representatives at STFS committees – inform and influence future directions
Online and brief paper (pre-visit) questionnaires – please contribute as your views are valued!

21. Careers
“An extensive choice of information relating to medical careers is now
available…” Collins 2010.
Careers support and resources available in your trust
ROADS book – and four stage approach to career management
Informal short one-2-one career sessions
Group teaching introducing career planning
Virtual STFS career fair
Up to 5 days of your F2 study leave entitlement can be taken towards the end of F1 for a ‘taster’ to explore career options
for further ideas
is the national careers website. Please mention what is available locally for your foundation doctors.

22. Careers
Referral to STFS careers team:

23. Enjoy your foundation training – and let us know if we can help you plan your future career