NHS England London have published lists per specialty on the PGMDE Support Portal which details the courses each School considers mandatory to support curriculum requirements and those that are optional. 

For more information about Study Leave - click here.

The London School of Anaesthesia course list can be found here

In the event you wish to undertake a course outside the mandatory and optional lists please make a prospective application following the Aspirational Course process. This includes seeking support from your TPD.  Please email the TPD and include the points below which provides details of the course, estimated costs and justification for attending the course and justification if it is outside of London.  If your TPD approves your request then it will be sent to the HoS/DHoS for approval before final approval is given. If at any point along the approval process your request is declined you will be emailed and informed why.

Details to be included for ASPIRATIONAL STUDY LEAVE REQUEST

• Name of course
• Course location
• Course dates
• Course fees
• Estimated travel/accommodation expenses
• Justification for attending the course*, linked to trainee’s PDP and learning objectives and confirmation that the trainee has not already received funding for an international event during the current period of training (i.e. Foundation or core or higher training programmes, trainees in run through or dual programmes can apply for international events every 3 years as a maximum)
• Justification for attending a course located outside of London, Kent, Surrey & Sussex.

* Please note that trainees seeking leadership training should in the first instance be encouraged to access the free NHS Leadership Academy Edward Jenner or the LEEP programme delivered by an NHS Trust or HEE and should only consider any other options when these courses are not available. Please confirm you have explored these options in your application.

The London School of Anaesthesia is highly supportive of trainees wishing to take a period of time out of programme to develop themselves further. There are multiple forms of OOP trainees can undertake which should be discussed as early as possible with your Training Programme Director (both programme TPD's should be informed if you are a dual specialty trainee). Details regarding OOP types and further guidance can be found on our PGMDE Support Portal. 

School specific OOP guidance has been produced to help support conversations with your TPD and navigate the application process successfully. Please see below:

OOP guidance for Anaesthetic Trainees and Training Programme Directors

This information has been created to provide Anaesthetic trainees and TPDs with guidance surrounding OOP applications in London so there is a more transparent, and equitable process for all. This guidance has been updated in 2023 and is a summary of the current OOP guidance that exists and can be found in the Gold Guide v9, RCOA website, NHSE website and PGMDE support portal.

PG Deans have discretion to consider exceptional circumstances and approve more than 1 OOP period for sound educational reasons. PG Deans can also consider exceptional circumstances and approve OOP periods longer than the normal time periods.

TPD’s should discuss such exceptional cases or any trainee that needs a more bespoke plan, with the Head of School in advance of application.

General considerations

• Trainees must complete the last 6 months of their CCT training, in the UK.
• OOP will not normally be agreed until a trainee has been in a training programme for at least one year of specialty training.
• OOPC’s and OOPP’s are available to all trainees. 
• OOP’s that are requested during stage 1 training will only be considered for exceptional circumstances/opportunities and cannot count towards training.
• It is possible to apply for an OOP in stage 2 training. Trainees who are wanting to do this, should discuss this with their TPD in advance of applying.
• Trainees who are dual ICM/Anaesthetics will need approval from both their ICM and Anaesthetic TPD’s.
• Trainees who are undertaking Advanced Pain Training will need approval from their Pain TPD as well if the OOP will disrupt their Advanced Pain training plans.

Please provide your TPD with a detailed breakdown of the fellowship you are applying for, together with details of any other past OOP time you have taken.

If you want to apply for an OOP, but the job advertisement or interview falls within the 6 months’ notice period, please discuss this with your TPD and apply for the OOP in advance to meet the required notice period. The OOP review panel can approve the OOP application, noting that this is pending successful outcome at interview.

Please be aware that any OOP requires prospective formal agreement of the PG Dean and applications must be submitted at least six months in advance of the anticipated start date.  The London School of Anaesthesia uses specific OOP windows to review all applications as detailed here.

OOP Application Windows

The aim of having application windows for OOP are to:

• Highlight that the application and extension deadline for an OOP period is 6 months in advance of the start date unless there are exceptional circumstances.
• Enable Head of School and TPDs to have a face to face (online) conversation about any applications their trainees have made, and if necessary, discuss rotation capacity issues, access to posts across the programme etc.

If a trainee applies well in advance of the intended OOP start date. Their application will be added to next window.

If a trainee wants to apply for an OOP, but the job advertisement or interview falls within the 6 months’ notice period, the trainee should discuss this with their TPD and apply for the OOP in advance to meet the NHSE notice period. The panel can approve the OOP application, noting that this is pending successful outcome at interview.

Refer to the OOP application form and the OOP windows for 2024.

The Postgraduate Dean remains the Responsible Officer for Doctors in training on OOP and they will still require an annual ARCP. You should also ensure you are fully understanding of any impact OOP may have on your visa status, statutory rights, continuation of service and pension. The FAQ section on the PGMDE Support Portal can help with queries related to this.

Dual Trainees

Please note there are some differences between the guidance issued by the RCOA and FICM so please refer to their websites for further information.

Please discuss any OOP aspirations with your ICM TPD and your Anaes TPD early as both programmes will need to support the OOP application.

OOPs that are counting towards training (OOPT)

With the introduction of the 2021 Curriculum, the RCOA has changed the process.

• OOPTs cannot be taken in Stage 1 or Stage 2 of training.

• Only 12 months (whole time equivalent) in total during ST6-7 can count towards training.

An OOPT placement will count towards the CCT provided the following conditions and requirements are met:

• on commencing OOPT the anaesthetist in training must be in a GMC approved training programme having completed stage 1 and stage 2 of training in their entirety. This does not preclude setting up and planning an OOPT during stage 2.
• only 12 months (whole time equivalent) in total during stage 3 can be taken as OOPT.
• the OOPT programme must map to capabilities identified in the stage 3 and/or special interest area(s)
• the OOPT post must be prospectively approved by the GMC with support from the Postgraduate Dean and College(s) (a minimum of 3 months should be allowed for GMC approvals processes)
• OOPT must be undertaken in clinical posts locally indicated as being suitable for training.
• the last 6 months of the CCT training programme normally should be in the UK.
• on return, the anaesthetist in training must complete a report on the time spent on OOPT and submit it, together with an assessment report from the local supervisor to the School and the College’s Training Department. Until this report has been received and reviewed the College cannot confirm time spent on OOPT towards a CCT
• If you are a dual Trainee, you will need to apply for prospective approval from RCOA and FICM

The consideration of whether the School can support applications for OOP time to count towards training (OOPT) will depend on the circumstance of the training programme. Time can be counted towards training if:

1. Training module is not offered in training programme.
2. Training module available in the training programme but oversubscribed. 
3. Highly specialised training not available in UK 
4. Highly specialised training available in the UK but oversubscribed. 
5. Overseas training offers a different perspective to the area of clinical practice than in the UK. 

Please note that if a trainee applies for an OOPT when the training offered is available in the training programme (for example the training is offered via the SIA process), the school will not support trainees counting any of the fellowship time towards training (it will be approved as an OOPE).

Fellowships abroad

The School will support stage 3 trainees who are applying to count time towards training for a fellowship abroad as they provide additional experience not available within the UK. Please refer to the OOPT section above for further information. However, please note trainees must complete the last 6 months of their CCT training, in the UK.

• RCOA OOPT Application Form and RCOA Return to training OOPT report
• School ARCP information if you are on an OOP

Time out of programme for research (OOPR)

OOPR is research taken out of programme. In certain instances, it is possible for some time to count towards training. The same rules apply as for OOPT (above) in additional to the following:

• For stage 3 trainees, up to 12 months (whole time equivalent) of research can be counted towards the CCT, provided there is a clinical element to the programme (this includes out of hours duties within the NHS hospital where the anaesthetist in training is based for their research time).
• If there is no clinical element to the research programme, a maximum of 6 months only will count towards the CCT.
• 6 months of research can be counted towards the stage 3 Research and Managing Data domain of learning as well as the SIA in this area. If there is an appropriate clinical element to the OOPR, a further 6 months may be counted towards stage 3 capabilities in other areas.
• Stage 2 Trainees undertaking an OOPR may be able to count 6 months of time to support stage 2 training if there is a suitable clinical element to the programme (this includes out of hours duties within an NHS hospital where the anaesthetist in training is based for their research time) and count 6 months towards a generic professional Special Interest Area in research in stage 3. Please discuss this with your TPD first if you would like to consider this as an option.
• When planning an OOPR, anaesthetists in training are advised to consider complementary areas and capabilities of stage 3 that may also be evidenced.

Time out of programme for non-clinical Special Interest Area (SIA) training

It is possible to undertake training in a non-clinical special interest area during Stage 3 which may count towards training if this training is not offered within the training programme.

• Up to 6 months of SIA time can be used to complete SIAs that relate to generic professional domains of learning in any one of the following: Management and Professional and Regulatory Requirements, Safety and Quality Improvement, Education and Training, Research and Managing Data.
• When planning non-clinical SIA training, anaesthetists in training should consider complementary areas and capabilities of stage 3 that may also be evidenced.

Reference links:

https://www.copmed.org.uk/gold-guide/gold-guide-9th-edition

https://london.hee.nhs.uk/specialty-schools/anaesthesia

https://london.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training/trainee-resources/out-programme

https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/documents/guide-anaesthetics-training-handbook/out-programme

Application Process for Special Interest Area Posts

The London School of Anaesthesia and Kent, Surrey & Sussex (KSS) School of Anaesthetics jointly provide over 120 Stage 3 special interest area (SIA) posts in 20 specialty areas across 33 different hospitals/trusts.

These SIA posts are split by region and available to trainees during their Stage 3 (ST6/7) years as follows:

• Trainees in North London rotations can only apply for SIA posts offered in the North London Anaesthetics Programme.
• Trainees in the South London rotations and KSS rotations can only apply for SIA posts offered in the South London Anaesthetics Programme and KSS School of Anaesthetics.
• This will be the final year of the joint South London and KSS SIA scheme and over the next two years there will be separation of the SIA allocation process between the two Schools.  This SIA allocation process commencing in September 2024, for SIA posts starting in August 2025 and February 2026, will allocate KSS and South London trainees to either school’s SIA posts.  However, from September 2025, South London and KSS will each run their own SIA allocation processes and by August 2026, we anticipate all South London trainees will be in South London SIA posts and all KSS trainees will be in KSS SIA posts.

Please refer to the two separate SIA Handbooks for full details of the individual SIA posts offered within these two regions.

Please read the following guidance carefully on the application and allocation process for posts commencing in August 2025 and February 2026.

• Trainees can apply to undertake a maximum of 12 months (whole time equivalent) in SIA posts during their Stage 3 (ST6/7) years, as required by the curriculum.
• Applications are open to all trainees who will have completed Stage 2 training and be ST6/7 (Stage 3) by the time of commencing the SIA post.
• This is of particular relevance to LTFT trainees or those with interrupted training timelines, who should discuss their timelines with their TPDs to ensure that they apply for SIA posts commencing at the appropriate time.
• It is also of relevance to any trainee who commenced Higher training in February (rather than August) and will therefore enter Stage 3 in February 2026.  They are also eligible to apply in this round for SIA posts commencing in February 2026.
• Trainees can apply for a maximum of two SIAs: either two different specialties of 6 months duration each (whole time equivalent) or one specialty of 12 months duration (whole time equivalent).
  • Single specialty 12 month SIAs are available in Anaesthesia for Cardiac Surgery, Anaesthesia for Neurosurgery, Obstetric Anaesthesia and Paediatric Anaesthesia.
  • Trainees who wish to undertake 12 months of Anaesthesia for Cardiac Surgery, Anaesthesia for Neurosurgery or Obstetric Anaesthesia are generally advised to apply for two 6 month SIAs in these specialties at two different sites, to give a diversity of experience.  Trainees considering one of these single specialty 12 month SIAs should discuss available options with their TPD prior to submitting their applications.
  • Paediatric Anaesthesia 12 month SIA posts are only available at GOSH but trainees can also apply for two 6 month SIAs in Paediatric Anaesthesia at two different sites if they wish to.
• Trainees must complete and submit an online application form to apply for the SIA posts.
  • If applying for TWO 6 month SIAs, you will need to state which is your 1^st and 2^nd preference.
  • If applying for only ONE SIA, you can still apply for two different SIAs (indicating which is your 1^st and 2^nd preference) in order to maximise your chances of success.
  • For each SIA, you can then rank your preference for the sites at which the SIA is offered and omit those you do not want to be considered for.

  • The link to the online application form is at the bottom of this page and will be activated for the duration of the application window from 1st - 30th September.

• Applications will be assessed and scored on two components:
  • A supporting personal statement for each SIA applied for, demonstrating why the trainee wishes to do that particular SIA and their commitment to that specialty [maximum of 1600 characters (~200 words) / maximum score of 20].
  • Three supporting information statements for each SIA applied for, describing the trainees involvement in: (i) Teaching / Training, (ii) Audit / QI / Research, (iii) Management / Leadership [maximum of 1200 characters (~150 words) for each response / maximum score of 10 for each].

Please be aware of the following conditions that apply once you have been offered and confirmed acceptance of an SIA post:

• A minimum notice period of 6 months from the start date of the SIA is required if you subsequently want to make changes or no longer wish to undertake the post i.e. by the end of January for August start date / by the end of July for February start date.
• If a post is accepted as LTFT then it may not be possible to subsequently change the LTFT percentage or go full time. Any such requests will need to be discussed with your TPD to ascertain if it may be possible.
• SIA posts can only be deferred to a future start date for the following statutory leave reasons:
  • Maternity or shared parental leave
  • Long-term sick leave

The deferred start date will be dependent on future availability of the same SIA and cannot be guaranteed if the future SIA posts are already allocated. In this case, an alternative SIA may need to be considered.

In addition, for South London & KSS SIA posts, if a deferral results in an SIA post extending beyond August 2026 when the South London and KSS schemes separate, an alternative SIA may need to be considered as all South London trainees will need to be in South London SIA posts and all KSS trainees will need to be in KSS SIA posts beyond August 2026.

Please discuss any deferral requests with your TPD as soon as possible.

Timetable for 2025 - 2026 SIA Process

SIA Posts Application and Allocation Guidance Full-time & Less than full time (LTFT) Trainees

SIA Posts application guidance for Full-time and LTFT Trainees.

Please read this guidance carefully in conjunction with the above when considering your SIA applications.

SIA Handbooks and applications forms

North London 

• North London Anaesthetics SIA handbook.
• North London SIA application form

South London

• South London Anaesthetics SIA handbook. 
• South London and KSS SIA application form