Please read this pack and all the enclosed information very carefully before applying. Errors will result in delays to processing your application. The durations mentioned in this pack should only be used as a guideline and not as a guarantee.
Client Funded Training (CFT) Scheme
for sponsoring Overseas Doctors
Information Pack
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1. Background to the Scheme
2. Sponsorship Criteria
3. Applying for the CFT Scheme
4. GMC Eligibility
5. Making a Client Funded Training Agreement
6. Sponsorship Procedure and arranging GMC registration
7. Termination of Sponsorship
8. Contact Details
1. Background to the Scheme
1.1. The British Council health department has been offering assistance to overseas doctors in postgraduate medical education and training in the UK for many years. The Council provides information on postgraduate medical education and training through the National Advice Centre for Postgraduate Medical Education (NACPME). (see contact address on the last page), We also assist overseas doctors in obtaining limited registration with exemption from the PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Board) test with the GMC (General Medical Council) by providing sponsorship.
1.2. Sponsorship is provided to doctors who are seeking salaried training posts in the NHS through our Client Funded Training (CFT) scheme. We can also now assist scholarship-holding doctors or doctors with funding from government agencies and organisations in their home country. This scheme is called the Trust Fellowship (TF) scheme where we arrange unpaid placements with hospitals within the NHS (National Health Service) in the UK for a limited period only. If you are interested in the TF scheme, please request information separately available on this scheme but please note that the scheme is only relevant to scholarship holding doctors.
The British Council Client Funded Training (CFT) scheme is the sponsorship scheme run by the British Council health department for sponsoring overseas doctors to hold limited registration with the GMC with exemption from the PLAB exam. As the name suggests, the scheme is funded by our clients, the overseas doctors. The British Council charges a management fee to the doctors to cover the high administrative costs incurred in providing these services. (please see 5.1 below). As a part of our service we monitor progress and try to help sponsored doctors if they have problems during their training period in the UK.
1.3 The British Council has agreed criteria with the GMC to sponsor overseas doctors of a high calibre for Limited Registration with exemption from the PLAB test. We wish to help postgraduate overseas doctors who having undertaken their internship and an organised specialist training program at an approved teaching institution now wish to come to the UK to undertake postgraduate specialist training or seek special medical experience which is not available to them at home.
2. Sponsorship Criteria
2.1 In order to qualify for British Council sponsorship, you should have
- undertaken your medical undergraduate degree and completed a one year postgraduation internship in an approved hospital. Please note that acting on information published in India we have a restricted list of Indian medical schools from which we accept doctors for sponsorship. (please see the attached list). We attach a number of limitations on applicants from other countries, which will be advised on individual application.
- Doctors undertaking their medical undergraduate degree from a Libyan/Syrian medical school should have secured a “Good” or better rating in their medical degrees. Doctors obtaining “Pass” in their medical degrees will not be accepted.
- undertaken three years’ organised postgraduate training in the speciality which you wish to pursue in the UK, in a hospital approved for teaching.
- should not have had a break in their training for more than three years. (please see separate sheet attached for more information on breaks in training).
- we are unable to sponsor doctors who have failed the PLAB test.
- we cannot offer sponsorship for General Practice and Dentistry.
- we cannot sponsor doctors for posts secured in the Republic of Ireland.
- we cannot sponsor doctors for Pre-registration House Officer posts
Applications for sponsorship are assessed by our two medically qualified advisers. They are experienced in postgraduate medical education and will consider all the sponsorship criteria outlined above. In addition, the advisers will also assess the application from a professional viewpoint to ensure that the applicant’s progress in training is consistent with the stated goals. Only those applications which are judged to offer a reasonable chance of success will be approved. In the event of your application being unsuccessful, you can apply to us for a copy of our appeals procedure.
2.2 If the British Council agrees to sponsor you for Limited Registration with the GMC, the sponsorship can last for up to five years and registration must either be renewed annually or as and when you take up a new post whichever is shorter. We will inform you of the need to renew registration and will also undertake to monitor your progress, requesting regular progress reports from your supervising consultant(s).
2.3 We can only register doctors who are able to secure a paid approved training post in open competition. Such posts must have both educational and postgraduate dean’s approval and should be for a period of three months or more. Please note that the British Council cannot arrange such posts since it does not have any influence over the selection process.
Doctors should be aware that at present there are relatively few paid Specialist Registrar posts available for overseas doctors. It is not clear how long this situation will continue.
3. Applying for the CFT Scheme
If you wish to be considered for the CFT scheme, you should submit all of the following documents detailed in paragraphs 3.1 to 3.7 (except 3.6 which pertains to IELTS – please read this point carefully). We will contact you about your suitability once we have had a chance to assess your papers. You should note that if we decide to pursue your application for sponsorship, then the process leading to agreeing sponsorship can take several months. If we decide not to pursue your application for sponsorship, we will inform you of our decision within four weeks.
3.1 Scrutiny Fee
The British Council has from the 1st of April 2000, introduced a scrutiny fee of £50 plus VAT (total £58.75) to cover the administrative costs of assessing your initial application. As mentioned in the covering letter sent to you with this pack, please submit a cheque of Pound Sterling £58.75 (£50 plus 17.5% VAT) drawn on a UK bank made payable to “THE BRITISH COUNCIL”. Applications not enclosing the scrutiny fee will be returned.
3.2 Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Biodata/Resume
You should state your full name (including any middle names) in the CV as it appears on your primary medical degree since the GMC will grant you registration in that name and we will also refer to you by that
name. If, however, you want to use another name or your married name for your limited registration, then you should be able to provide docoumentary evidence of your change of name by either producing an original affidavit stating change of name or an original marriage certificate, at the time of registration. The CV you submit to us should be comprehensive, up to date and should contain personal details including your nationality(s), details of medical education and internship, details of posts held and duties undertaken in those posts etc.
You should also give us the names and contact details of at least two referees whom we will contact directly for references. Two of your referees should be from your home country with one being your most recent employer. The referees should be from a teaching approved hospital where you have spent the maximum period of your postgraduate training. The references sent should be signed, on hospital headed paper and must be addressed to a member of staff in the health department. We also request where relevant that you include names of any consultants with whom you have had clinical attachments in the UK. You should make sure that you complete the attached referee form giving full contact details of your referees.
3.3 Copy of certificate of primary medical qualification
A photocopy of this is sufficient initially (with a certified translation if it is not in English) although the original medical (undergraduate) degree certificate and a certified translation (if it is not in English) will need to be presented to the GMC when registration is arranged.
3.4 A signed statement of your Training Objectives
You should submit a signed statement detailing your long-term training objectives/career plans in the UK. This will enable our health advisers to ensure that your training post is relevant to your training objectives and may be sent to hospital consultants if requested by them.
3.5 Copies of correspondence you have had with UK Hospitals regarding training.
We must have details from the start, of any training you have been offered through your own contacts in the UK, even if it is only for an observer attachment.
3.6 An IELTS test result certificate (if you have already taken it)
At the time of submitting your initial application, if you have not yet taken the IELTS, you can still apply to us for sponsorship by sending all the rest of the documents required to make a complete application. You should note that you cannot get registered with the GMC unless you have a valid IELTS test certificate to present at the time of registration.
As a sponsoring body, we need to assure the GMC that all our doctors have a high standard of English before they start their post in a UK hospital. The requirement set by the GMC for sponsored doctors is that every doctor should score not less than 7.0 in each band of the (Academic) IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test. This score should be secured in one sitting of the test. Please note that IELTS test results are only valid for a maximum of two years from the date the test was taken. If you have not yet sat the IELTS you can still submit all the other application documents and sit the test at a later date.
3.7 Information Sheet
It is very important for us to ascertain your eligibility for limited registration with the GMC. This pack includes an information sheet to complete with our initial application pack along with guidelines on how to complete the sheet. Please read through the guidelines carefully before completing the information sheet, as errors will delay your application. Please send the completed information sheet to us together with your initial application documents. Please note that the information sheet will be returned to you if you fail to answer all the questions.
4. GMC Eligibility
Once we have received all your documents we will process your scrutiny fee cheque and you will be sent a receipt to acknowledge payment. Your documents will be passed on to our medical advisers for preliminary assessment. Our medical advisers will make an initial assessment of your application documents and decide whether we can consider your application for sponsorship and check your information sheet. You should expect to receive an acknowledgement from us regarding your application within four to six weeks. If we decide to proceed with your application we will send your completed information sheet to the GMC in order to ascertain if you are eligible for Limited Registration with the GMC. This will depend on whether:
i) Our advisers are satisfied that you have undertaken a good quality postgraduate training programme at a recognised educational institute,
ii) Your medical college is on the World Health Organisation approved list. For Indian doctors, the list of Indian medical schools enclosed with this pack is applicable.
The GMC takes up to four weeks to confirm your eligibility for Limited Registration and grant you a reference number. You should wait for a copy of the confirmation to be sent to you rather than contacting the GMC yourself.
At the same time as sending the GMC information sheet we will write to your referees for a reference on your clinical performance and character. The referees should be from a Teaching Approved Hospital where you have spent the maximum period of your postgraduate training. The references should be signed, on hospital headed paper and addressed to one of the health department staff.
The last stage in the sponsorship process is the IELTS test results. If you have not already sat the IELTS test we will now remind you to sit the test and we cannot confirm sponsorship until you have secured the required score and we receive a copy of your IELTS test certificate. (see 3.6). We can provide information regarding IELTS test centres in the UK and overseas if you are unable to obtain this information from the IELTS web site at www.ielts.org
5. Making a Client Funded Training Agreement
After you have completed all the stages of the sponsorship scheme, your application will go for a final check. There can be delays at this stage if there are many doctors waiting before you. Providing we can agree sponsorship, we will send you two original copies of the sponsorship contract setting out the terms of British Council sponsorship along with a blank registration form. You should sign both the contracts and return one to us IMMEDIATELY if you agree to our acting as your sponsor for Limited Registration with the GMC. If you fail to return the contract, we will assume you are not interested in the sponsorship scheme.
You can now start applying for paid approved training posts. The contract issued to you can be used as evidence that you will be sponsored for GMC registration for an approved training post for three months or longer. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU CAN ONLY GET REGISTERED WITH THE GMC ONCE YOU HAVE SECURED A PAID APPROVED TRAINING POST. IT IS ADVISABLE TO INDICATE THIS ON YOUR JOB APPLICATION FORM.
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU SHOULD NOT START APPLYING FOR JOBS UNTIL YOU HAVE REACHED THE FINAL STAGES OF THE SPONSORSHIP PROCESS. IF YOU DO SECURE A JOB WITHOUT REACHING THE FINAL STAGES, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL GET REGISTERED FOR THE JOB.
5.1. British Council Management Fee
The British Council charges a management fee to cover the costs of administering the sponsorship scheme. The British Council reserves the right to increase the management fees payable each year at its discretion. Therefore, please check the fees at the time of signing of the sponsorship contract. Due to an increase in operational costs, we are increasing the management fees to be paid from 21 March 2002. All contracts that are issued on or after this date will state the increased fees.
Where the British Council arranges initial registration with the GMC, a management fee of £700 (exclusive of VAT) will be charged for the first year of limited registration and sponsorship.
A management fee of £400 (exclusive of VAT) will be charged for the second and each subsequent year that we act as your sponsor.
VAT of 17.5% is payable on all of the above fees.
You will be invoiced ONLY after GMC registration has been successfully arranged. We will send you an invoice for the British Council management fee approximately a month after your initial registration and then in your second year and subsequent years of sponsorship. You should arrange to pay our invoice within 30 days. You should note that our fee is additional to the fees charged by the GMC, the Medical Defence Union or the Medical Protection Society.
Please bear in mind that continuation of sponsorship is highly dependent upon prompt payment of BC management fee invoices.
We advise that you include this fee in your tax return as we expect that the Inland Revenue will accept it as a professional expense. If you have not been asked to fill a tax return you should ask for one, as professional fees (e.g GMC registration fees, Medical Defence Union/BMA membership fees, Royal College membership and examination fees) are accepted as necessary professional expenses. You will need to present your case to the Inland Revenue Department for including these fees under professional expenses while completing your tax return.
6. Sponsorship Procedure and Arranging GMC Registration
The sponsorship process has various stages and you will be issued with a contract only when you have completed all the stages successfully. Until then, we cannot confirm that you will be sponsored by the British Council. For ease of reference, we have enclosed with the information pack, a flowchart showing the various stages of the sponsorship process and notes, which go with it. Please note that the duration indicated in the flowchart at each stage of the sponsorship process should only be used as a guideline and is not guaranteed.
Once we have signed a Client Funded Agreement (the sponsorship contract), the stages are as follows:
6.1. Application for a salaried training post at Senior House Officer (SHO) or Registrar grade
After having signed your sponsorship contract with us, you can now start applying for approved training posts in the grades of Senior House Officer or Specialist Registrar. Vacancies in these grades are advertised weekly in either the British Medical Journal or The Lancet and are filled by an open competitive process. The British Council does not have privileged access to such positions and therefore we cannot assist in obtaining paid posts for sponsored doctors. If you wish to apply for paid posts you can now go ahead with applications, using the British Council contract as proof of our sponsorship for limited registration. As soon as you secure a paid post, you should notify us in order that we can make arrangements for registration.
All paid posts at SHO and Specialist Registrar training grades are approved for education and training purposes by the Postgraduate Dean and carry educational approval by a Royal College or Faculty or Joint Higher Committee or in Scotland by a Regional Postgraduate Committee. However, it is advisable to check with Medical Staffing whether the post you are applying for has got dual approval. Such posts should be
for a period of not less than three months. We cannot offer sponsorship for locum posts, which are for less than three months, nor for LAS (Locum Appointment for Service) posts of any duration.
Doctors who are overseas, at the time of signing the sponsorship contract, should contact the British Council as soon as they have secured a post or when they arrive in the UK (even if it is only to attend an interview). We will then send you the relevant registration forms to complete as soon as you are successful in obtaining a post.
You should note that both the GMC and the British Council need time to process registration documents so you should allow at least three weeks for registration to be arranged and check with us before accepting a post at very short notice.
6.2. Hepatitis
Hepatitis B testing will be required by the UK employer before invasive work with patients commences. If you are known to be Hepatitis B antigen positive, invasive clinical work will not be possible.
6.3. Arranging GMC registration
Once you have been offered a paid post, you should get the blank registration form LR3 (sent to you with the sponsorship contract) completed. Part 1 of the form should be completed by the doctor confirming his/her personal details. Part 2 of the form should be completed by the Medical Staffing Department of the hospital where you have secured a post, giving details about the post offered. You/the hospital should also provide us with the names of consultant(s) who will be supervising you during your period of registration.
When Part 1 and Part 2 of the registration forms have been completed, you should contact us to arrange an appointment to come to the British Council office in Manchester for a briefing meeting with our medical adviser(s). At the briefing you will be given an outline on the Health Services in the UK with information on hospital procedure, patient expectation and the future development of your training. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions/concerns that you may have about the health service in the UK and/or the sponsorship scheme during the briefing.
You will need to bring with you the completed registration form and your original medical undergraduate degree certificate with a certified translation if it is not in English. If you wish to be registered in your married name or any other name (that does not appear on your primary medical degree certificate) then you should bring your original marriage certificate or an affidavit as proof of change of name. You should also bring your original IELTS test scores sheet.
The British Council, as the sponsoring body, will complete Part 3 of the registration form at the end of the meeting. The completed registration form and all your certificates will be sent to the GMC by guaranteed delivery. The Registration and degree certificates will directly be returned to you by the GMC by recorded delivery within a week to ten days.
6.4. Medical Insurance
Doctors placed in NHS hospitals are offered contracts with the employing Trust. Such contracts require the employer to provide indemnity against malpractice in NHS work. There are number of risks which are not covered by this insurance. We therefore require that all our sponsored doctors join the Medical Defence Union (MDU) or Medical Protection Society (MPS) or Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) which provide insurance in case a claim should ever be made against you. The General Medical Council also expects doctors to take out this supplementary insurance. There will be a charge for this and membership will need to be renewed annually. The British Council will NOT be able to offer support services that would have been available from the MDU or MPS if you have a problem and have not subscribed to MDU/MPS. We will provide you with some information on these organisations at your briefing.
6.5. Renewal of GMC Registration
Limited Registration can be granted for a maximum of one year in the first instance depending on the duration of the post and is always arranged to cover a specific post. Therefore if the post is for six months then registration will be arranged for that six-month period only. Alternatively, if the post is for more than one year, registration will still be granted for only one year.
We will send you a new registration form approximately two months before your registration is due to expire in order to allow plenty of time to renew registration. Before we can agree a further period of sponsorship we will need to receive a satisfactory progress report(s) from your supervising consultant(s) and will write for this up to two months before your registration will expire. Please note that it is your responsibility to chase your consultants and ensure that the progress report is sent to us otherwise the GMC may not grant you registration in time.
We will also send an invoice to those doctors for whom management fee is due. Please note that if management fee is due, you should send us a cheque along with your completed LR3 form and GMC fee otherwise we will be unable to process your registration in time. Due to a change in policy from March 2002, those doctors who renew their registration for two years, will be required to pay the management fee for two years.
After about three to four months of your having limited registration, we will send you a questionnaire to complete and return to us, asking for feedback on the progress of your training in the UK.
Please note that the GMC has increased its fees for initial registration and renewal of registration to £390* and £290* respectively.
6.5.2. All sponsored doctors are allowed to work in a particular speciality by the GMC. If you wish to change the speciality in which you are working or add to a speciality, you will need to provide us with the reasons for requesting such a change. We will then make a formal request to find out from the GMC if you are eligible to work in it and if you are, we will need to extend registration to cover it.
6.5.3 When you have obtained a position as a British Council sponsored doctor, the British Council will maintain contact with you and with your supervising consultant(s) to monitor your progress towards your stated objectives. If your performance is not satisfactory, the British Council’s medical advisers will discuss your progress with your supervising consultants and yourself to decide on continuation/withdrawal of sponsorship. Your sponsorship is dependent on your progress therefore it is advisable to contact the medical advisers at the earliest in case you are experiencing problems or are concerned about any aspect of your training.
7. Termination of Sponsorship Contract
7.1 the GMC withdraw your registration;
7.2 your progress reports show that you have consistently not made satisfactory progress in your speciality;
7.3 your clinical training is suspended or terminated for any reason;
7.4 you commit an act of omission such as to bring Council’s sponsorship of your training into disrepute;
7.5 you are guilty of a criminal act or deported;
7.6 you become bankrupt or insolvent;
7.7 you fail to pay the management fee invoice(s) issued to you.
8. Contact Details
I hope that this gives you a clear overview of the scheme. If you would like to apply for British Council sponsorship please read the information pack carefully and send all the documents requested to:
CFT Scheme - Initial Applications
Health Department, Sector Relations
The British Council
Bridgewater House, 58 Whitworth Street
Manchester M1 6BB
Direct Tel: 0161 957 7724
Department Fax: 0161 957 7029
Email: cftscheme@britishcouncil.org
For advice on postgraduate medical education in the UK, please contact
National Advice Centre for Postgraduate Medical Education (NACPME)
Health Department, Sector Relations
The British Council
Bridgewater House, 58 Whitworth Street
Manchester M1 6BB
Direct Tel: 0161 957 7218
Department Fax: 0161 957 7029
Email: nacpme@britishcouncil.org
Website address: http://www.britishcouncil.org/health/nacpme/index.htm
· Please note that the GMC has revised their fees for initial registration and renewal or extension of registration with effect from 1 January 2002.
Note that the regulations for sponsorship frequently change and you should always check the up to date position before making any commitment of your time or finances.
© The British Council