Out of Hours

Out of Hours (OOH) 

In North Cumbria as part of your employment with The Lead Employer Trust, you are paid an out of hours supplement which is an enhanced payment on top of your core hours.

Under the new Junior Doctor Contract any time spent working out of hours will not be additional to the 40h working week but will be deducted from it.

ST1 and ST2 DiTs in GP posts;

• GP DiTs are not required to do any OOH shifts
• They should be prepared for later work in this field by: 
  • Experience gathered through educational interventions which could include telephone triage, consulting skills in hours
  • Observation of urgent/unscheduled care provision within hours
  • In hours experiential work in the practice

ST3 DiT when in GP Post (Fulltime GP, ITPs)

• The DiT will undertake 24 hours of OOH work in each 6m GP post with Cumbria Health, with no overnight shifts. The time will be deducted from in-house clinical sessions.
• DiTs on an extension or receiving targeted training should by the end of their training, have completed, at a minimum, the same number of sessions as a standard trainee.
• If you have done an OOH 6 month rotation with Cumbria Health you are still required to complete 24 hours of OOH in your other ST3 rotation. 

ST3 Extension Posts

You do not need to continue to do OOH shifts when in an extension post unless you did not complete the requirement in ST3 or it has been specifically stipulated as part of your educational development whilst in the extension. 

A note about the European Working Time Directive

Please note that this still applies, and any OOH schedule will need to maintain the necessary breaks / maximum shift lengths. The maximum shift is 13 hours and there has to be an 11-hour break. So, for example, if a DiT does a 6.30pm-12.30am shift they can only start work at 11.30am on the day of the shift and 11.30 the day after the shift. If that then results in them working less than 40 hours that week, they will need to work the “missing” hours elsewhere (not necessarily in the same week). If you exceed 40 hours in a week due to OOH shifts, the time back must be taken in close proximity to accruing the excess. The timing of this must be mutually agreed between you and your practice. 

If you need more information or have a question that the description above or linked documents below do not answer, please speak to one of the Training Programme Directors.

It is important that you also visit the HEE OOH area - this provides details of the regulations regarding out of hours training, the EWTD and includes the most up to date versions of forms.

OOH Induction Course

Cumbria Health provide the local GP out-of-hours service.

Before commencing OOH work all trainees must attend the Cumbria Health induction course run over 3 days. Once completed attendees can start their OOH work under the supervision of an experienced GP. For some DiTs, the course will take place during their last hospital post and so their OOH work will start once they return to practice in their next placement. Attendance at this course forms part of the evidence towards competence in Urgent and Unscheduled care.

• We expect that all GP registrars will complete the Out of Hours Training Course during their training.
• Time for attendance of the course will be taken out of formal study leave. Application for this must be made to the Training Practice or Hospital Trust (depending on what post the trainee is doing at the time of the course) in good time to ensure that it can be approved.

Paperwork to be Completed: 

• OOH1 - Form for recording your shifts. Needs to be uploaded to e-portfolio
• OOH2 - Registrar feedback for Clinical Supervisor

Clinical Supervisors for OOH 

Some GP DiTs have trainers who do not do OOH work. In these circumstances, Cumbria Health holds an up-to-date list of doctors who have agreed to adopt the role of Out of Hours Clinical Supervisor for GPRs other than their own, or are Cumbria Health salaried GPs. If you are in need of an Out of Hours Clinical Supervisor please contact the Cumbria Health office: 01228 514830.

Cumbria Health Contact Details
Address: 4 Wavell Drive, Rosehill Industrial Estate, Carlisle CA1 2SE
Tel: 01228 514830
Email: office@cumbriahealth.nhs.uk 
Website: https://cumbriahealth.co.uk