Non-trainee grade (NTG) junior doctors/other healthcare professionals

In the context of the Horus ePortfolio, an "NTG" is a non-trainee grade junior doctor/other healthcare professional working in a foundation-level (or similar) post but not a member of the UK Foundation Programme.

NTGs

• do not have a connection to Health Education England (HEE) and their responsible officer is not the local HEE postgraduate dean (instead, their responsible officer is usually the Medical Director of the employing organisation or their representative)
• do not belong to a Foundation School
• are not on a training programme

Examples include

• LAS: locum appointment for service (LAS) doctors covering F1 or F2 posts that have not been allocated to a foundation doctor
• Trust grade: trust grade doctors working in posts that are at a similar level to F1 or F2 posts (eg "trust SHO") 
• Pre-specialty:
  • junior doctors who have completed the Foundation Programme but have not yet commenced a specialty training programme, working in posts at a similar level to F2 posts (sometimes known as "pre-specialty" or "F3" junior doctors)
  • doctors on the Widening Access to Specialty Training (WAST) programme
• Other: other types of NTGs may also be possible (give details in the free-text field in Horus)

HEE foundation programme colleagues have produced generic guidance for NTG doctors working in England. 

Learn more about

- what NTGs can use Horus for

- what NTGs can't use Horus for

- how NTGs can register to use Horus

- who can use Horus

- paying to use Horus

It is important to note that the above information is not intended as employment guidance and all doctors/other healthcare professionals should seek relevant guidance from for example their employer and/or the General Medical Council (GMC)/their relevant regulator. Additional information can be found by following the links on the Useful links page.

The Horus ePortfolio team is not able to provide guidance regarding employment, assessment or training requirements.

NTGs can use the Horus ePortfolio to record

• reflections and personal development plans
• meetings with supervisors
• supervised learning events (and have these validated by local trainers)
• 360° feedback (TAB)
• additional evidence of achievement of competences 
• how their achieved competences map to the FP Curriculum (2016)

Learn more about what NTGs cannot use Horus for.

It is important to note that the above information is not intended as employment guidance and all doctors/other healthcare professionals should seek relevant guidance from for example their employer and/or the General Medical Council (GMC)/their relevant regulator.

The Horus ePortfolio team is not able to provide guidance regarding employment, assessment or training requirements.

NTGs cannot

• use Horus as an assessment tool
• sign any health or probity declarations on Horus (these should be provided instead by their employer)
• complete their Form R (revalidation self-declaration) through Horus
• have an annual review of competence progression (ARCP) recorded in Horus
• receive a Foundation Year 1 Certificate of Completion (F1CC) or Foundation Programme Certificate of Completion (FPCC)
• receive a Certificate of Readiness to Enter Specialty Training (CREST) (previously known as the Alternative Certificate of Foundation Competence) through Horus

The contents of Horus is aimed at junior doctors in the UK foundation programme and those in equivalent/similar level posts (that is NTGs). Junior doctors in higher level posts/other healthcare professionals should, where possible, use the e-portfolio of their relevant medical royal college, system(s) provided by their employer or other commercial products to record their own continuing professional development, as the tools available in these will be more relevant to them. However, note "Can NTGs who are working at levels higher than F2-equivalent use Horus?"

Learn more about

- what NTGs can use Horus for

- what NTGs who are also trainers of foundation doctors can use Horus for

It is important to note that the above information is not intended as employment guidance and all doctors/other healthcare professionals should seek relevant guidance from for example their employer and/or the General Medical Council (GMC)/their relevant regulator.

The Horus ePortfolio team is not able to provide guidance regarding employment, assessment or training requirements.

Allowing NTGs to access the Horus ePortfolio is a matter local discretion at the relevant employing NHS trust. Some employing trusts will have legitimate reasons for not allowing their NTGs to access Horus and NTGs should respect these. It is worth having a discussion with your local trust postgraduate centre administrator to understand the local policy.

If your employing trust allows NTGs to access the Horus ePortfolio, you can learn more about registering for Horus or transferring your account if you are already registered on Horus ePortfolio.

All NTG administration is managed by the employing trust. The Horus team will not add any new NTGs to the system or update rotations for NTGs.

It is important to note that the above information is not intended as employment guidance and all doctors/other healthcare professionals should seek relevant guidance from for example their employer and/or the General Medical Council (GMC)/their relevant regulator.

The Horus ePortfolio team is not able to provide guidance regarding employment, assessment or training requirements.

Yes. It is up to the employing NHS trust to decide which (if any) of their NTGs they grant access to Horus to. 

NTGs wishing to use Horus to record their own competences and working at a level higher than F2-equivalent should be assigned an "F2 NTG rotation" in Horus.

Learn more about

- what an NTG is

- how NTGs can register to use Horus

- how to set an NTG up on Horus.

Access to NTG Horus accounts is the same as to foundation doctor Horus accounts. Learn more about who can view the data in Horus.

No - only NTGS working in NHS trusts where foundation doctors also work are able to use Horus (see how can NTGs register to use Horus) to record their own competences and progress (see what NTGs can/can't use Horus for).

The location tree in Horus reflects the NHS trusts where foundation doctors in England work.

1. Admin menu (available to administrators only)

2. Add new user > Add foundation doctor / NTG

3. Enter the doctor's GMC number and select "Search" (or add manually if no GMC number).

4. Horus will search the GMC register and if the number is correct, you will be able to "add user to Horus".

5. Add their email address and medical school and save.

6. Create their rotation and placement(s). 
Learn more about what to do if you miss this step.

When asked, select to create an "NTG doctor" rotation. 
Learn more about how to create a new rotation.

7. The process from this point onwards is the same as creating a standard F1 or F2 rotation, with just one extra step - you need to select what type of NTG the doctor is:

LAS
Trust grade
Pre-specialty
Other (specify in the free-text box)

Learn more about what NTG types are.

After making this selection, you should follow the process in the Placement Management pdf user guide. 

Learn about what to do if the user is already on Horus as a trainer.

If the doctor did not do their foundation training at your trust:

Follow the guidance about NTG transfers

How are NTG transfers (from one organisation to another) completed in Horus?

If the doctor did their foundation training at your trust:

1. Admin menu > Foundation Doctors

2. Search for the doctor (remember to check the filters - maybe they were a foundation doctor with you last training year)

3. Select "Rotations" next to their name

4. Scroll to the end of the page. Under their existing rotation(s), select "Create new rotation" 

5. When asked, select to create an "NTG doctor" rotation. 
Learn more about how to create a new rotation. 

6. The process from this point onwards is the same as creating a standard F1 or F2 rotation, with just one extra step - you need to select what type of NTG the doctor is:

LAS
Trust grade
Pre-specialty
Other (specify in the free-text box)

Learn more about what NTG types are.

Learn about what to do if the user is already on Horus as a trainer.

NTG transfers are a two-step process, but they are initiated by the NTG doctor themselves. To initiate an NTG transfer the NTG doctor can follow this guidance. Once the NTG doctor has made their request the local Horus administrators will be able to accept the request by following this guidance and create the NTG rotation.

Please note: once an NTG doctor makes a request they cannot make another request for 1 week unless the initial request is accepted.

NTG transfers can only be initiated by the NTG themselves. Before initiating an NTG transfer, NTG doctors should first contact their employing trust as per this guidance.

Please note: For those users with a dual account (FD/NTG permissions and trainer permissions), NTG transfers can only be initiated from the FD/NTG mode of your account.

To initiate an NTG transfer the NTG doctor should:

1. Select name to access the ‘My account’ page

2. Select ‘NTG transfer request’

3. Start typing the name of the organisation and select it from the list of suggestions. If the name of the organisation you are looking for does not appear you should contact the local Horus administrators and they will be able to advise.

4. Select ‘Request NTG transfer’

Your NTG request will be sent to those users at the selected organisation with administrator permissions.

After it has been accepted the status of the request will be updated.

If the NTG transfer request expires before it is accepted, a new transfer will need to be made.

Learn more about accepting NTG transfers and rejecting NTG transfers.

To accept an NTG transfer the local administrator at the new organisation should:

1. Select Admin menu > Manage NTG transfers

2. Select ‘Create rotation’ against the appropriate NTG

3. Add NTG rotation in the usual way (guidance here (step 3 onwards))

After the NTG rotation has been added the request will be removed from the ‘Manage NTG transfers’ page.

To reject an NTG transfer the local administrator at the new organisation should:

1. Select Admin menu > Manage NTG transfers

2. Select 'Reject request'

3. Read the pop up warning and select 'Reject request'

Any requests that are not accepted within 1 week will expire and disappear from the ‘Manage NTG transfers’ page.

Yes - NTGs can be trainers and trainers can be NTGs on Horus. An administrator needs to add a "Trainer" permission to the NTG's account or add an NTG permission to the trainer's account.

A user with both an NTG (or foundation doctor) account AND a trainer account will still only have one login to Horus. When they log in, they will have the option to "Switch mode" between NTG/foundation doctor and trainer. Switching mode will change the main menu options the user has access to.

1. Admin menu > Add new user > Add doctor
(or Add other user if they're not a doctor - you will then need to enter their details manually and move on to step 4)

2. Enter the doctor's GMC number and select "Search"

3. If this user is already on Horus as an NTG, you will see the option to "Add trainer / other permissions to user" - select this option
(If they aren't on Horus or already have trainer permissions, you will not have this option.) 

4. Assign the required permission(s) in the usual way.

Learn more about what an NTG is.

1. Admin menu > Add new user > Add foundation doctor / NTG doctor’

2. Enter the doctor's GMC number and select "Search" (or add manually if no GMC number)

3. If this user is already on Horus as a trainer, you will see the option to "Add to Horus" - select this option
(If they aren't on Horus or already have NTG permission(s), you will not have this option.) 

4. Assign the required permission(s) in the usual way.

Learn more about what an NTG is.

All users

A doctor/other healthcare professional with a current non-training grade rotation (an "NTG") has "[NTG]" displayed after their name, in red, on all their portfolio pages. Any user with access to that user's portfolio (that is, an administrator in the relevant location, the user's assigned supervisor(s) and the user themselves) sees this label.

Administrators

Administrators also see the "[NTG]" label after relevant doctors' names on

- all the admin list / report and overview pages

- the doctor's rotation management page
 

Any user with a portfolio without this label is a foundation doctor (FD).

Learn more about how to

- view a list of NTG doctors in your location

- check that no NTGs have been listed as FDs

A WAST doctor is someone working on the Widening Access to Specialty Training (WAST) programme. The WAST programme is an opportunity to work for a year in England while receiving regular teaching and clinical exposure that will help to improve the skills and competences required for admission to specialty training through the national selection processes.

For further information and for all enquiries about the WAST programme, see HEE's dedicated WAST web page.

Learn more about

- who is responsible for the administration of WAST doctors on Horus

- how to set a WAST doctor up on Horus

- what to do if you're a host trust administrator but don't have access to Horus

The host (employing) trust is responsible for the administration of WAST doctors on Horus. 

For further information and for all enquiries about the WAST programme, see HEE's dedicated WAST web page.

Learn more about

- what a WAST doctor is

- how to set a WAST doctor up on Horus

- what to do if you're a host trust administrator but don't have access to Horus

Follow the steps in How do I set an NTG doctor up on Horus?

In step 7, select "Pre-specialty" for the 'NTG Type' field.

Learn more about

- what a WAST doctor is

- who is responsible for the administration of WAST doctors on Horus

- what to do if you're a host trust administrator but don't have access to Horus

The Horus team worked with the HEE WAST team during 2018 to give all trusts who are hosting WAST doctors access to Horus. If you think that your trust may have been missed, please contact your local HEE foundation team in the first instance. If you don't know who that is, contact the WAST team.

Learn more about

- what a WAST doctor is

- who is responsible for the administration of WAST doctors on Horus

- how to set a WAST doctor up on Horus