South Thames Foundation School

Postgraduate Centre

There are dedicated education and learning centres on each site – the Education Centre located at the heart of Ashford Hospital and the Oliver Plunkett Postgraduate Education Centre located close by the Duchess of Kent Wing of St. Peter’s Hospital.

Library Facilities

The Library and Knowledge Service enables staff to find the best evidence to support patient care.  There are two libraries conveniently located next to the education centres at both hospital sites, offering access to a comprehensive range of hardcopy and electronic resources including exam preparation texts and BMJ Learning.  Literature search training sessions are available on a monthly basis, including sessions aimed at doctors carrying out clinical audits.  Full details of the service are available on the KnowledeNET website which keeps staff up-to-date on latest resource developments.
www.knowledgenet.ashfordstpeters.nhs.uk

IT Facilities

The Library and Knowledge Service provides computer rooms in the libraries on both hospital sites which enable access to the trust intranet and internet.  These computers also have Reference Manager software and the statistical software package SPSS is available.

Other Facilities
(Recreational or otherwise)

In addition to co-ordinating the regular internal teaching programmes for our own doctors in training, the Centres at Ashford & St Peter’s provide facilities and administrative support for:
Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS); Advanced Life Support (ALS); Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS); Royal College of Physicians MRCP Part II (PACES); Basic Surgical Skills (BSS); GP Intensive Course (GPIC); New born Life Support Course (NLS).

Childcare  
The Trust operates a nursery and play-scheme on both sites.  The Day Nurseries offer places for babies from 3 months up to 5 years and are open 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday. (7.00 am by arrangement).

The charges for the Day Nursery are dependent on salary banding.  Please contact Dawn Hunt, Childcare Manager to ascertain current rates.

The play schemes are open during the main school holidays, and half terms for which a flat rate is charged.

The Trust works in conjunction with Busy Bees to offer staff a more flexible way to meet the costs of childcare under which part of the salary can be given up or ‘sacrificed; in exchange for Childcare Vouchers. Within specified limits, these vouchers are non- taxable and exempt from National Insurance Contributions and therefore represent a saving for employees who receive them as part of their total employment package.

Employee Assistance Programme 
The Trust offers an Employee Assistance Programme which provides staff and their immediate family access to independent advice, information, and specialist counselling and support.  The free confidential line is available 24 hours a day 365 days per year, and an online service is also available.

Doctors’ Mess

The Trust has a doctor’s mess on both Ashford & St. Peter’s sites.

Local Amenities/ Attractions

Working with local gyms, and health clubs and other businesses in the area the Trust is able to offer discounted memberships, tickets, and other services to staff, which are regularly publicised.

Transport Links

The two sites – Ashford Hospital, Ashford, Middlesex and St. Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey, Surrey – lie eleven miles apart separated by the River Thames and the M25 London orbital motorway – all trainees are based at St Peter’s Hospital.

Parking Arrangements

Car parks on both of the hospital sites are split between those reserved for patients/visitors and those specifically for staff members. 
Demand for car parking is high and at peak times parking spaces can be difficult to find.  The Trust operates two types of patient/visitor car parks; pay and display, where users pay upon entry and pay on foot where users pay at the end of their visit.
Currently staff do not pay for parking their cars on site.
All enquires about car parking should be made to john.sermon@asph.nhs.uk or to the security office on extension 3675 or 01932 723675 if calling externally.

Accolades/
Achievements of the Trust

The Trust was recently rated within the top 25% of trusts nationally for stroke services.  We have recently been awarded a Gold Tamba Maternity Excellence Award (Twins and Multiple Births Association).  We also provide specialist services for neonatal intensive care and trauma and orthopaedics across a wide area.

Any Additional Information

Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust is a medium sized district general hospital service operating from two sites – Ashford near Staines and St Peter’s near Chertsey, serving a population of around 380,000.  The Trust employs over 3,200 staff making it one of the largest employers in the local area after Heathrow Airport, and has a budget of around £140m.  Further information about the Trust can be found at www.ashfordstpeters.nhs.uk  The Trust is currently applying to become a Foundation Trust.

Accommodation

The Trust works partnership with Servite Houses, A2 Dominion Group, Pavilion Housing Association and Pathmeads Key Places to offer staff access to residential accommodation. 

The accommodation which is compliant to Health Service Circular 2000/36 -‘Living and working conditions for hospital doctors in training’ is provided by Servite Houses and is located on the St Peter’s Hospital site, Chertsey.  It provides a bedroom within a fully furnished two bedroom flat, sharing the kitchen, bathroom, and lounge with one other person.  The rent is inclusive of utilities and council tax and changes annually to take account of the annual rent and council tax increase.

If you require your partner, or partner and children to be accommodated with you the Trust will try to assist by providing self contained accommodation at Sandgates, in a two bedroom flat, this is located about one mile from St Peter’s Hospital.

Our partners also provide other types of accommodation too, from single rooms in shared houses, to 3 bedroom houses.

Our partners require one month’s rental payable in advance, and both the A2 Dominion Group and Pavilion Housing Association, and their managing agents Pathmeads Key Places require a deposit of one month’s rental too.  Payment of the rental for the accommodation is normally made via payroll deductions.

Laundry facilities are provided, for which charges are applicable, and individuals may make their own arrangements for telephones and access to the internet subject to the conditions of tenancy.

If you require further information about accommodation please contact the Human Resources Department on telephone 01932 722643 for the contact details.

Shadowing

All new Foundation Doctors, commencing at Ashford at St Peter’s Hospitals, are given the opportunity to shadow the out-going Foundation Year 1 Doctors prior to their commencement at the Trust.  In addition, an Acute Illness Management Study Day is held for all the new Foundation Year 1s prior to their Induction.

Tasters

Foundation Year 1 and 2 Doctors are encouraged to undertake “Taster” sessions in other specialties, up to a maximum of five days in the year.  “Tasters” in other Trusts will be considered when the Specialty is not available at the Trust.

Teaching Programme

At Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals there are 48 Foundation Year 1 are 39 Foundation Year 2 posts.  These posts are all approved by the KSS Deanery and Foundation School.   FY1 posts are made up of posts in General Medicine (22), General Surgery (13), Paediatrics (3), Psychiatry (2) Clinical Radiology (2) Trauma & Orthopaedics (3) Anaesthetics (3).  All Foundation Year 1 trainees will be on one year programmes in Chertsey, made up of three 4 month placements.   All trainees will take part in the Foundation Year training programmes, directed by the Head of Postgraduate Medical Education, Dr. Peter Martin and Foundation Programme Year 1 Lead, Mr Tayo Johnson and Mr Vincent O’Neill, Year 2 Lead   This will include formal teaching sessions, directed and self-directed personal learning, structured appraisals and assessments. FY1s will have weekly protected teaching and FY2s fortnightly protected teaching
FY2 posts are made up of posts in General Medicine (6), Paediatrics (5), Trauma & Orthopaedics (8), General Surgery (3),
Obstetrics & Gynaecology (5), Emergency Medicine (6), General Practice (4), Psychiatry (2).

Simulation

All F1 doctors are encouraged to take part in a Simulation Training day at St George's Simulation Centre.

Social Activities

Foundation Doctors at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals enjoy an active social life.  There are frequent mess parties, a summer ball and various sporting activities organised by the doctors themselves.

Any Additional Information

Over the past three years all Foundation Doctors have been given a one to one mid-term review with the Postgraduate Medical Education Team. The feedback from more that 99% of these has been very positive on the training received.