Training programme and curriculum

Training programme

Paediatric training in KSS is a run-through programme with trainees entering the programme at ST1 and award of CCT following completion at ST8. There are three different levels of paediatric training and expected timings of membership examination, and opportunities for subspecialty training:

  • In Level One training, trainees can develop and improve their skills in general paediatrics and neonatal medicine.
  • In Level Two training, trainees must complete a period of community paediatrics and tertiary neonatal medicine, as well as general paediatrics.
  • In Level Three training, trainees can develop a special interest or undertake formal subspecialty training via the Grid programme.

A competency-based curriculum for specialist training in paediatrics

The revised competency-based curricula for core and specialist paediatrics training have been approved by the General Medical Council and can be found on the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) webpage.  

Programme Requirements

To view the paediatric programme training requirements, please visit the RCPCH webpage

Local education placement providers in KSS are:

Kent

– William Harvey Hospital, Ashford – East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust

– Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mother Hospital, Margate – East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust

– Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Pembury – Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

– Medway Maritime Hospital, Medway – Medway NHS Foundation Trust

– Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford – Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust

Surrey

– Ashford and St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey – Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– Frimley Park Hospital, Frimley – Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

– Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford – Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust 

– East Surrey Hospital, Redhill – Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

Sussex

– Conquest Hospital, St. Leonards-on-Sea – East Sussex Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

– Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton – Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust

– Worthing Hospital, Worthing – Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester – Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

To find out more about each training location, please visit the Local Education Provider webpage.

Placements:

Level 1 training – ST1, ST2 and ST3

Sussex

Three-year rotations with placements across Worthing, Chichester, and Brighton. All rotations will include neonates and general paediatrics.

Surrey

Three-year rotations with placements across Ashford & St Peters, East Surrey, Royal Surrey, and Frimley. All rotations will include neonates and general paediatrics.

M25 Corridor

Three-year rotations across the M25 corridor with placements across Darent Valley, Medway, East Surrey, and Tunbridge Wells. All rotations will include neonates and general paediatrics.

East Sussex and Kent

Three-year rotations across Kent and East Sussex with placements across Kent and Hastings. All rotations will include neonates and general paediatrics.

Your first three years are allocated together at recruitment, and we look to keep trainees in Kent, Surrey, Sussex or the M25 corridor.

Level 2 training – ST4 and ST5

Trainees have an opportunity to preference rotations which are in geographical patches (Sussex, Surrey, M25 corridor and Kent with East Sussex).  They will include community, neonates and general paediatrics.

Level 3 training – ST6, ST7, and ST8

In your ST6 year you will have the opportunity to work in one of the following London posts where your subspecialty will be PICU, NICU, neurology, endocrinology, oncology or neuro-disability:

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

There are also neurodisability posts in Chailey, Tadworth and Young Epilepsy which may be available. (These are part of the community grid rotations, so are allocated to those trainees first).

As there will be an element of competition for some posts, the allocation process will be based on a combination of criteria such as educational needs, career aims, and scoring the e-Portfolio (at the panel allocation meeting).

Sub-specialties

Training in KSS will lead to a CCT in General Paediatrics.  For those trainees who wish to subspecialise, the National Grid is available. The posts are recruited to in ST5 or ST6 by a national process run by the RCPCH.  For information about the specialties available and the admission criteria, please visit the RCPCH website.

Currently, KSS offer training opportunities in three sub-specialties:

  • Neonatology – rotations are across Kings College Hospital, Medway Maritime Hospital and Royal Sussex County Hospital; or Kings College Hospital, Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospital and Royal Sussex County Hospital.
  • Emergency medicine – rotations are primarily based in-post and based primarily in Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals with a six-month rotational post in University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.
  • Community Paediatrics – rotations are currently available in Sussex and Kent.