Checklist for guardians of safe working hours

Please note: This checklist is for employers where the first doctors transition to the new terms and conditions of service (TCS) in October 2016.

This checklist is designed to remind guardians of safe working hours of key tasks needing to be completed during the first year of doctors on the 2016 contract.

Date / Task / Done
w/c 3 October 2016 / Electronic exception reporting systems available from Allocate and Skills for Health. Ensure you can log in and use these systems (or other electronic systems that may be in used in your trust)
From 5 October 2016 / First trainees start on the new contract in obstetrics and gynaecology. Guardian to attend inductions and introduce themselves and their role where they have doctors starting on the 2016 contract.
12 October 2016 / Trainees starting in post on 5 October will have been in post one week. Ensure you are reviewing your exception reporting dashboard to pick up on any issues, and continue to do so going forwards(note – only applicable if you had doctors on the 2016 contract starting in October).Guardians should be regularly reviewing their dashboards from the point that doctors on the 2016 contract are employed in their organisation.
By end November 2016 / Attend first meeting of the junior doctor forum, as per Schedule6 para 13.
7 December 2016 / Foundation year 1 doctors move on to the new contract, and some foundation year 2 doctors (if sharing the same rota as F1 doctors). Attend inductions and introduce yourself and your role.
January 2017* / Guardian quarterly report to the board due, and provided to the LNC (or equivalent).
March 2017 / Second NHS Employers guardian of safe working hours conference.
February-April 2017 / Transition to new TCS for psychiatry, pathology, paediatrics and surgical doctors taking up new appointments, and F2 and GP trainees taking up new appointments on the same rotas as these doctors. Attend inductions and introduce yourself and your role.
April 2017* / Guardian quarterly report to the board due, and provided to the LNC (or equivalent).
April/May 2017* / The first Guardian annual report to the board (provided to the LNC or equivalent) will be due in April/May.
July 2017* / Guardian quarterly report due to the board and provided to the LNC (or equivalent).
July 2017 / Reminder – the guardian must have an annual appraisal in line with appraisal policy. Guardians appointed in August 2016 will be due their annual appraisal, if they have not already had one.
August-October 2017 / All remaining doctors taking up new appointments start on the 2016 contract. Attend inductions and introduce yourself and your role.
October 2017* / Guardian quarterly report to the Board due, and provided to the LNC (or equivalent).

* Identifies when a report is due.

More information can be found on the guardian of safe working hours web page.