Guide to Anaesthetics Training (The Handbook)

Registration for Training

All anaesthetists in training are required to register with the College as soon as possible once appointed to CT1, and again after appointment to Specialty Training at ST4; registration webforms are available on the College website.

Copies of correspondence related to individual training programmes are held by the College. A Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) date is calculated when the stage 2 certificate has been processed. This date is amended if there are any changes to the training programme such as domains of learning not being achieved or being deferred, or other circumstances prevail, such as sick leave, maternity leave, or less than fulltime training.

Schools of Anaesthesia

Schools of Anaesthesia are responsible, on behalf of Deaneries, for the delivery of a GMC approved programme of postgraduate education in anaesthesia, intensive care, and pain medicine. There may be separate Schools for ACCS training. The School should provide educational leadership and governance, ensuring appropriate structures are in place to deliver training to the standards required by the GMC.

All hospitals in the UK that provide training belong to a School. It is important to note that the Schools of Anaesthesia are not a homogenous group and therefore the curriculum permits flexibility to allow local organisation of training.

The first point of contact for information concerning training or career planning is this document and the 2021 Curriculum, in conjunction with the Training and Careers and Examinations sections of the College website.

The next point of contact is the College Tutor (CT) of the department in which the anaesthetist in training is working. If the College Tutor is unable to give the necessary guidance, then the Regional Adviser (RA) should be asked for advice. Only if the CT or RA cannot help should an anaesthetist in training contact the College’s Training Department for advice as the administration team will not be aware of the anaesthetist in training’s individual and personal circumstances.