COVID-19. Update for ACF, CL and CRF/Clinical PhD Fellows

Update:  22 December 2021

Guidance for clinical academics during future COVID-19 pandemic:  Addressing the challenges of Omicron and future COVID 19 pandemics

NIHR, the Clinical Academic Training Forum Working Group and most major research funders have clarified some overarching principles and practical actions in response to future significant disruption to clinical academic training due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 or future waves of COVID-19, locally or nationally.   The guidance and principles are broadly consistent with those issued in January 2021, including:

• a return to support the NHS clinical response to pressures caused by the pandemic is voluntary for those in clinical academic posts
• trainees should not arrange any clinical placements outside of the agreed local deanery/HEE process.

Full details of the guidance can be found on the NIHR website

Actions for clinical academic trainees:

• Not to arrange any clinical placements outside of the agreed local deanery process. Neither the return to clinical service and the subsequent return to research should occur without the approval of the Postgraduate Deanery
  • To carefully plan, in discussion with the Postgraduate Dean (or their nominated deputy), TPDs and research supervisors, any voluntary return to clinical service and then back to academic roles
  • To discuss with their research funder regarding changes to research plans as soon as possible
  • To consider whether some research activity can be continued that can add value to research experience and training

In addition to the above, the Imperial College Faculty of Medicine has guidance and processes in place for College employed clinical staff – i.e. CLs and most clinical PhD Fellows.  For the avoidance of doubt, at the present time (22/12/21) Imperial College London has not received any formal request from the NHS for such assistance during the current wave from College-employed clinical staff.  However, should the call come, and the need arises, College employed trainees should gain the relevant approvals and complete the online forms to record their time spent doing clinical service.

Full details on the FoM Guidance can be found here

In all cases, if you are considering whether to support NHS clinical service during future pandemics you should talk to your supervisor (and line manager/Academic Lead where relevant) to consider the impacts on your academic work alongside any third-party requirements, in order to plan appropriately and get approval for any NHS clinical support for the COVID-19 response you decide you wish to offer.

15 January 2021: NIHR/HEE update:  Redeployment of Clinical Academic Trainees

The UK-wide Clinical Academic Training Forum, NIHR and Postgraduate Deans all remain highly supportive of clinical academic trainees who are able to volunteer to support the NHS clinical response to COVID-19. Guidelines to support redeployment of these volunteers are available at https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/addressing-the-challenges-of-covid-19-second-wave-or-another-pandemic/25779

1. Academic trainees vary in their clinical skills, speciality and academic training requirements.  Each voluntary deployment must be appropriately funded and be carefully discussed beforehand with the trainee and their supervisors. All must be prospectively approved by their postgraduate dean. Such deployments should not continue beyond what is necessary to support the current COVID response.  Imperial College academic trainees who decide to return to clinical service to support the Covid response must make the decision together with College supervisors, line managers and Heads of Department, and the sign up process described on the FoM sharepoint pages must be followed.

Funding arrangements should be agreed locally with medical schools in advance of any deployment.  Any necessary invoicing should ideally be on a monthly basis.  It is recommended that they are not deferred until the end of the clinical placement.

12 January 2021

In light of the current pressure on the NHS, the Imperial College Faculty of Medicine has devised a process to enable the College, CATO and your academic departments to best support you in any choices you may be being asked to make about offering support to the NHS at this time.    We are conscious that many of you have received several communications over the last few days from NHS partners, HEE and elsewhere about where you could volunteer to support the NHS if you are able to do so.  The wording of recent communications from HEE may have caused some confusion. And of course the Faculty of Medicine currently remains open for teaching, and for research.

To be clear and to reassure you there is no mandated return of OOPR Clinical Research Training Fellows to clinical work, and HEE will not be allocating OOPR clinicians to specific clinical duties. ACFs should, if at all possible, rearrange academic research blocks so they can undertake clinical duties (in discussion with clinical training programme directors).  On 7 January the Dean also updated clinical employees in the Faculty about where ICHT is seeking support -  some of you will have received this message as staff members. The Faculty is working closely with the Trust(s) to create clear guidance wherever possible.   Please refer to the emails received from the Faculty or CATO to access the links explaining the process and the forms that need completing.

The three main take home points to remember are: 

1. Return to clinical work for clinical academics currently doing research is voluntary, not mandated, but encouraged where possible.
2. Any decision to return must be agreed by College supervisors, line managers and Heads of Department, and the sign up process described on the FoM sharepoint pages must be followed.
3. ACFs, CLs and clinical OOPR (medical) PhD fellows who have questions about potential return to clinical work can approach Prof Jeremy Levy to discuss their circumstances or any concerns (j.levy@imperial.ac.uk)

27 November 2020

“The Imperial College Faculty of Medicine has put in place new guidance on the management of COVID-19 clinical service provided by College employed clinical staff.  The requirements are applicable to any Imperial College London employed member of clinical staff within the FoM who may be redeployed to support Covid-19 pandemic related clinical service in the NHS for future waves, and encompass:

• Considering any new period of COVID19-related clinical service activity staff may be approached to provide to the NHS over the coming months 
• Gaining approval for and registering of such activity should staff wish to proceed with this activity
• Managing any associated recharge or contract change activity for that period of service

For more information, please click here

24 September 2020

Following the re-deployment of many clinical academics during the first wave,  there is a clear agreement that in any future clinical COVID-19 surges, universities and funders will all do everything possible to protect clinical academics in training and their research time:  see this useful document from CATF CATF working group COVID 19 Second Wave Principles 

Maintaining PGME and training - Four nations principles - useful information from the NHS about maintaining Postgraduate Medical Education and Training.

7 April 2020

The disruption to research programmes, posts and individuals at Imperial caused by the Covid-19 crisis is unprecedented. The suspension of non-routine research, switch of College operations to remote working and the call for clinical academics to return to clinical work has raised concern and numerous questions for affected individuals.   The university, funders of research and others are working hard to respond to these challenges to adjust processes, and provide flexibility and reassurance for those whose clinical academic research has been disrupted.  The situation is constantly evolving and incredibly complex -  we do not have all the answers yet, but they are being worked on.  The FAQs below provide some general principles and guidance which we hope will be helpful in the meantime.

19 March 2020

Here are some notes about the implications of COVID-19 for your IAT (ACF or CL) and CRF/clinical PhD posts:

1. Please use the Trust (or College) intranet as your primary source of information: you should read the daily updates to all NHS/College staff and follow the advice and instructions on the Trust intranet.
2. As you are no doubt aware, current clinical research studies have been suspended until further notice, unless exempted (Covid related), and all University research activity.
3. Use the time you have available, if not called on clinically or able to do primary research eg sort any processes of Sponsorship / ethics / HRA / Capability and capacity assessment if relevant; read; undertake data analysis; write up what you have done already. Carry on setting yourself goals and targets so that you have some structure in your work - this is when your project and time management skills will really come into play!  Many of you may not have spare time if needed clinically of course.
4. CRFs (for Doctors in training in UK currently on OOP):  If you are asked to return to your clinical role, all the major funders, including the Imperial Health Charity, Wellcome, and BRC are prepared for this and are happy to accommodate you so that you can either make up academic time later or suspend your fellowship in the short term of this critical period. NIHR are requiring all trainees they fund to return to clinical service.   If you do need to do this, please talk to your supervisors and line manager and make sure that you contact the relevant person at your funding body.  Your departmental Research Degree Manager can advise about interrupting PhD registration with the University. There will be NO problem in extending your fellowship if needed, and resolving who funds the extension in due course (NHS or research funder). The research funders will make available funds if needed for example to keep animal colonies alive, or materials in specific conditions.
5. ACFs:  if you lose academic time by being called back into clinical work, which is expected, this will be made up later after the summer so you do not lose any academic periods
6. CLs:  similarly we will ensure you do not lose academic time if you are called back into clinical work, as expected.  Some of you may not be able to progress clinically if routine surgery/imaging etc for example is cancelled, even though using clinical time. NIHR will explore case by case the need for extensions to CL posts in due course.
7.  ALL: Importantly PLEASE DO keep an accurate record of the time/days/weeks you spend in clinical work during this period, which may be needed later. Please ensure your clinical TPD and academic lead are informed by email of the precise date you are seconded back into clinical work.
8. Please share any other suggestions and support each other as much as possible.

And some more info here for those of you who are NIHR funded:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/covid-19-message-for-all-nihr-academy-members/24477#Infrastructure_and_Schools_trainees

MESSAGE FOR CLINICAL ACADEMICS ON BEHALF OF MAJOR FUNDERS AND THE WIDER RESEARCH COMMUNITY (19 MARCH 2020)

https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news/clinical-academics-and-covid-19 

REGULAR INFORMATION AND UPDATES

For the latest information and advice please visit the dedicated Covid-19 page from Imperial College London, which includes guidance on ‘How will disruption due to Covid-19 impact my research funding’ in the ‘Guidance for Staff’ section  http://www.imperial.ac.uk/about/covid-19/