Managing CCT dates

As of now, calculation of CCT dates for trainees will be the responsibility of Schools of Anaesthesia, normally Training Programme Directors (TPDs). The guidance below will help trainers, administrators and anaesthetists in training to manage the calculation of and changes to CCT dates.

TPDs will communicate their calculated CCT dates to the College through the ARCP outcome form and the confirmed CCT date will be visible on the anaesthetist in training’s Lifelong Learning Platform (LLP) on their profile page.

The College will provide CCT date calculations when requested from either a trainer or an anaesthetist in training, for eg to offer an objectively calculated CCT date, support for complex cases, or to provide retrospective date calculations for the purpose of consultant pay adjustment. This guidance has been produced to give anaesthetists in training  and TPDs greater confidence in this change. 

Exceptions

There are a series of existing processes, in which the College has a duty to review and approve changes to training programmes that may impact on CCT dates:

  1. OOPT and OOPR (notably the reports and assessments, on return)
    Please note that this to applies to posts that require College approval and are not already approved by the GMC towards CCT training
  2. OOPP
  3. LAT recognition
  4. Counting experience from outside the training programme towards a CCT
  5. Advancement of CCT dates

 

Process for managing CCT dates

The College does not prescribe methods for TPDs to calculate CCT dates. We have produced the RCoA CCT date calculator as one of the tools available for use by TPDs and anaesthetists in training.

Please read the guide and watch the video on before using it for the first time. 

RCoA CCT Date Calculator

Click here to access

Establishing an initial CCT date

At the anaesthetist in training’s ARCP panel, an initial CCT date will be set by the school of anaesthesia. TPDs would communicate their expected and/or updated calculated CCT dates to the College through the ARCP outcome form. The new CCT date should be entered in the Completion of training date field in the ARCP outcome form on the LLP with the most up to date information.

Maintaining and updating CCT dates

TPDs should communicate their expected and/or updated calculated CCT dates to the College through the ARCP outcome form.

The RCoA CCT date calculator will generate a CCT date from ST4 onwards; TPDs and anaesthetists in training can use this to plot out a training timeline and calculate a CCT date. (Please refer to the guide before using the calculator.)

At the ARCP panel

Ensure that the new CCT date is entered in the Completion of training date field in the ARCP outcome form.

If the CCT date has changed in a given year, there should be clear documentation of the reasons for change in a suitable location on the ARCP outcome form, eg, if an anaesthetist is moving to LTFT or changing their WTE rate, the percentages and the dates of any changes must be indicated, or OOP start and finish dates must be indicated. Ideally this should be captured in the placements section in the trainee’s ESSR, but if there are any inaccuracies, please note them in the free text box.

Once the ARCP outcome form has been accepted by the trainee, the Training department will receive a notification through our systems of the new CCT date. If the supporting information is provided and supports the change, then the new date will be accepted and recorded as the official CCT date for the anaesthetist in training. This will then be updated on LLP.

If the supporting information is missing, unclear or does not support the new CCT date, then the Training team will contact the TPD for clarification via email.

If the proposed Completion of training date on the ARCP outcome forms differs substantially, ie greater than two weeks, to the CCT date that College already has on record, this would be considered an exceptional change. Any such change requests will be identified and sent to the Training, Curriculum and Assessment Committee for review. 

The Training department will update CCT dates through LLP and their new CCT date will show on the anaesthetist in training's profile page. TPDs and trainees can request a letter confirming their CCT date if needed.

Requests to the College

The College will continue to provide CCT date calculations, using the spreadsheet calculator, in the following circumstances:

  • on request from either a trainer or an anaesthetist in training when:
    • an anaesthetist in training requires a second opinion on a date that has been provided to them locally
    • a TPD has directed an anaesthetist in training to contact the College about calculating a CCT date
    • a TPD requests support, or a second opinion in complex cases
  • to offer an objectively calculated CCT date when a date is contested
  • to provide retrospective date calculations for the purpose of consultant pay adjustment.

If a date is contested between an anaesthetist in training and their TPD, we would advise the anaesthetist in training to first approach their Regional Advisor. While it is not within the College’s gift to resolve disputes, the College will provide an independent calculation to inform discussions. The College will not overrule the TPD’s decision, but will help both parties find a compromise.

This service is available to all anaesthetists, both trainers and anaesthetists in training, who would like an objective calculation of a CCT date.

 

Dual anaesthetists in training

The College and the Faculty will continue to calculate completion dates for dual anaesthetists in training on receipt of their Stage 2 ICM certificate. 

CCT recommendations to the GMC

The introduction of the Stage 3 certificate in the 2021 curriculum replaces the previous Notification of Completion of Training form.

The Special Interest Area (SIA) must comprise 12 months WTE of training time and should be noted accurately on the Stage 3 certificate. 

The Training department will contact anaesthetists in training four months in advance of their CCT date to confirm that they will be completing training on the date we hold for them. They will be asked to confirm their CCT date and their specialty (Anaes, Dual ICM, Anaes with PHEM).

If these details are incorrect, trainees are given one month to reply and provide further information on the changes to their programme. If these details are correct, the trainee needs to take no action.

For eg, if an anaesthetist in training is due to complete training in August 2024, an email will be sent to them on 1 April 2024. They will then have until 1 May 2024 to reply with any corrections. If there are no corrections, the trainee needs to take no action.

The detailed process can be found here: Stage 3 training: Recommendation to the Specialist Register section.