How do I apply for Post CCT Extension?

You can only apply for Post CCT extension if: 

1) you are reaching CCT within a year, 2) there is funding remaining from when you CCT. Post CCT extension applications can only be submitted no less than 6 months prior to your CCT date and not after.

When applying, the following are needed:

• A brief case from the trainee (2-3 pages). This should set out what you intend to do with the time and how it will be beneficial to you, your research, your clinical duties, any future applications for further funding (grants/fellowships etc.) and finally how much extension is being requested.

• Supporting letters from both the trainee’s academic supervisor and clinical TPD to make sure that they’re happy for the trainee to stay in post and to set out how they think it will be beneficial; the letter also need to state the CCT date

• A letter from the Specialty Head of School to say that they’re happy for the trainee to “remain on their books” as even though they've obtained CCT, the funding will still pass through them; (this is obtained directly by the Specialty Team in HET)

• A brief e-mail or letter from the IAT lead at the relevant Medical School, to confirm that they are aware of what is being requested and that they’re happy with it. (Confirmation on who needs to be approached can be obtained from the IAT Team by email: england.academictraining.lase@nhs.net)

Applications for post CCT extensions for both NIHR and locally funded posts need to be submitted to the relevant medical school at least 7months before CCT to allow time for admin processes who then pass on to the HET academic team.

Please note the below when considering applying for a post CCT extension:

NIHR funds CL posts for up to 4 years, and 2 years of that can be post CCT. If a trainee hasn’t had a 50:50 balance of academic time pre CCT then the CCT date needs to be adjusted to allow for that. CLs need to develop both academic and clinical competencies during the post, and saying that clinical competencies at a CCT level have been achieved but an extension is needed to develop academic competency does not sit well with NIHR. If a trainee has had 2 years of CL training up to the point of CCT then one year full time equivalent of that should have been academic. 

If a trainee wants the extension then they need to apply for it more than 6 months before their CCT date. NIHR is happy for trainees to reduce their clinical commitments during this year to 20%. The nature of those clinical commitments can be locally negotiated.

Because there is a lot of work involved in preparing an extension request we would suggest that trainees contact the academic TPD/academic lead for their HEE school to review IAT training time as a first step."

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