NHS postgraduate deanery for Kent, Surrey and Sussex
South Thames Foundation School is a part of NHS South East Coast
Published March 2010
The Foundation Programme Curriculum (the Curriculum) sets out the framework for educational progression that will support the first two years of professional development after graduation from medical school
The Curriculum is based on Good Medical Practice 2006 (GMP), http://www.gmc.org/guidance/good_medical_practice.asp as outlined by the General Medical Council (GMC) and this is emphasised throughout. All foundation doctors are expected to be familiar with GMP and follow the guidance contained therein on the principles and standards of clinical care, competence and conduct.
This programme will allow foundation doctors to apply their knowledge and skills in the workplace and demonstrate improving performance to the level that will satisfy the needs of the GMC, making them eligible to apply for full registration at the end of Foundation Year 1 (F1). At the end of Foundation Year 2 (F2) they will be ready to enter a core or specialty training programme.
The Curriculum is intended to be used by foundation doctors, deliverers of their education and those responsible for quality assurance (national), quality management (deanery) and quality control (local). Some areas of the document are most appropriate for particular groups (e.g. Syllabus and competences for foundation doctors).
It is highly recommended that the section How to use the Curriculum is read thoroughly by all.
• patient safety must be put at the centre of healthcare
• high-quality safe patient care depends, among other aspects of practice, on effective multidisciplinary teams
• learning in, and from, practice is the most effective way for professionals to develop most of their expertise
• doctors are committed to life-long learning in, and from, the practice of medicine through repeated clinical experience. Foundation doctors will be expected to develop critical thinking and professional judgement, especially where there is clinical uncertainty
• every clinical experience is a learning opportunity and should be reflected upon in order to develop skills, understanding, clinical acumen and performance
• failure to recognise this calls into question an individual’s commitment to lifelong learning and continuing professional development
• doctors must continuously work to improve performance, i.e. improve what you actually do as distinct from what you are capable of.
The Foundation Programme Curriculum is available to download from http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/key-documents
Published March 2010
The Foundation Programme Reference Guide (formerly known as the Foundation Programme Operational Framework) provides guidance to deaneries and foundation schools about the structures and systems required to support the delivery of the third edition of the Foundation Programme Curriculum (the Curriculum). First published in 2005, the Operational Framework was revised in 2007 and 2009. The second edition (2010) takes account of the changes to the Curriculum and has been renamed the Foundation Programme Reference Guide (the Reference Guide).
There are four key objectives underpinning the second edition of the Reference Guide:
• it applies across the UK;
• it sets out what is required to deliver the Curriculum;
• it provides guidance for deanery/foundation school quality management; and
• where appropriate, it is aligned to the Reference Guide for Postgraduate Specialty Training in the UK (Gold Guide).
The Foundation Programme Reference Guide is available to download from http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/key-documents
The Foundation Learning Portfolio has been designed to help foundation doctors plan and manage their foundation programme and get the most from the opportunities available. The portfolio is based on the Foundation Programme Curriculum.
The foundation programme represents a shift to a new learning environment driven by the foundation doctor, and supported by supervisors. Within the portfolio, foundation doctors will find aids to help them identify educational needs, set goals and plan how to achieve them. The portfolio also contains guidance on how to demonstrate the competences achieved.
What‘s in the Foundation Learning Portfolio
The portfolio will become trainees’ record of achievements throughout their foundation training.
The Foundation Learning Portfolio is available to download from http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/key-documents
STFS foundation doctors use an ePortfolio – see ePortfolio page.
The Rough Guide was produced to help doctors entering the Foundation Programme to find their way through the two years of Foundation Training. There are sections covering the application process, the F1 and F2 years, and what comes after foundation training.
The Rough Guide is available to download from http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/key-documents
If an exhaustive guide to absolutely everything about the Foundation Programme is required, refer to the Reference Guide. This guide is designed to provide a good overview of how the programme works and how to make the most of Foundation Training.
The GMC document The New Doctor sets out the standards for training for Foundation Year 1 and is available to download from http://www.gmc-uk.org/education/postgraduate/new_doctor.asp.
Good Medical Practice sets out the principles and values on which good practice is founded; these principles together describe medical professionalism in action. The guidance is addressed to doctors, but it is also intended to let the public know what they can expect from doctors.
The GMC Education Committee has agreed the Standards for Training for the Foundation Programme. The standards have been incorporated within the Generic Standards for Training, with two additional specific standards for the foundation programme where necessary to reflect the requirements in this period of training. The GMC undertook a consultation programme to ensure the standards were appropriate for the whole of the Foundation Programme (F1 and F2 years).
The GMC Standards for Training for the Foundation Programme are available to download from
http://www.gmc-uk.org/Standards_for_Training_for_the_Foundation_Programme.pdf_26989973.pdf.
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