6494 Supporting professional activity (SPA) – a service improvement for lower specialty postgraduate doctor in training (PGDiT) at hull royal infirmary (HRI)

Objectives RCPCH Trainee Charter recommends at least 8 hours a month for ST1–3 Postgraduate doctor in training (PGDiT) pro rata for Less Than Full Time (LTFT) PGDiT for Supporting Professional Activity (SPA).1 This has been difficult to implement in Yorkshire and Humber deanery due to staffing concerns and its absence in the Junior Doctor contract. In an audit in the deanery, less than 28% of trainees responded yes to having at least 4 hours per month for SPA. The General paediatrics Tier 1 rota at the tertiary hospital Hull Royal Infirmary (HRI) comprises 11 persons and does not provide SPA time, leaving Lower Specialty Trainee, LST, with personal development time. This abstract aims to demonstrate that with adequate planning, there can be dedicated SPA time allocation in the rota for paediatric PGDIT and that using this model, Paediatric LST can have more exposure to clinics. This will also increase the conversation around trainee-led rota planning. Methods An LST was assigned to manage the tier 1 rota between May-August 2023. They identified dates for SPA time and clinics. This data was collated and analysed retrospectively. Results Figure 1 Chart Showing SPA hours per Postgraduate Doctor In Training (PGDiT) (PGDiT got an equivalent amount of time for the clinic). A whole day was allocated per person for SPA time and clinic with a plan to attend clinic half of the day. All the Tier 1 got an average of at least 4 hours of SPA time per month. However, the graph above is focused on the Paediatric PGDIT. An added benefit was four clinic hours per month, improving training exposure. Teaching days and leaves were taken into consideration and impacted SPA allocations. Conclusion With good planning, collaboration with the rota team and support from the college tutor, it is possible to implement SPA time as well as improve clinic attendance. PGDiT must adopt the excellent practice of requesting annual and study leaves at least six weeks in advance to enable planning. There is an ongoing effort to trial this in other regional Trusts. There is a need for further work to focus on increasing SPA time to a minimum of 8 hours per month for LST as per RCPCH recommendation. Trainee-led rotering can lead to an improvement in the training experience, and trainees value getting more outpatient clinic time as per feedback received. Reference Trainee Charter by RCPCH available at https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/trainee-charter