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Guardians of Safe Working

What is a Guardian of Safe Working?

Guardians of Safe Working are in place to ensure that issues of compliance with safe working hours are addressed in line with the 2016 resident doctor contract. The introduction of the Guardian role helps to protect both patients and doctors by ensuring that colleagues-in-training are not working unsafe hours. Acting as a champion of safe working, the Guardian receives your exception reports and escalates any discrepancies as necessary to enable a decision and relevant action to take place.

 

Who are the Lead Employer Guardians of Safe Working?

We have two Guardians of Safe Working Hours for our colleagues-in-training in specialty training, who are responsible for monitoring arrangements under the 2016 resident doctor contract.

If, during your placement, you are based within a hospital trust, you will fall under the Guardian of that trust and will be informed of this during your local induction.

Colleagues-in-training within General Practice, Public Health and Palliative Care Hospices fall under the remit of the Lead Employer Guardian, Dr Peter Arthur.

Mr Michael Chadwick is the designated Guardian for Mersey and West Lancashire and overarching Guardian for Lead Employer in relation to colleagues-in-training in specialty training within acute trusts and other organisations with 10 or more colleagues.

Exception reports which initially reached the local trust's Guardian can be escalated to Mr Chadwick at; michael.chadwick@sthk.nhs.uk or via phone on 0151 478 7777.

Dr Peter Arthur is the designated Guardian for colleagues in GP Practice, Public Health and host trusts with less than 10 colleagues-in-training and hospices.  You can reach Dr Arthur via email peter.arthur@sthk.nhs.uk or via phone on 0151 478 7777

For colleagues-in-training who fall under the remit of Dr Arthur, you will receive separate login details for the Lead Employer allocate system in order to submit exception reports, if necessary. If you do not receive this information within four weeks of commencement of your training programme, please notify le.enquiries@sthk.nhs.uk

 

Champions of Flexible Working

NHS England is committed to providing the necessary advice and assistance to colleagues-in-training who wish to transition to less-than-full-time training to ensure that the process is as seamless as possible, while also supporting those who have already transitioned to LTFT training.

This has led to the introduction of the role of LTFT Trust Champions in each trust.

These champions will have an overview of all LTFT colleagues-in-training within their trust and will be available to advise and assist any colleague within that trust regardless of grade and specialty on any concerns they have over the LTFT process and the LTFT experience. This role is designed to improve existing support for LTFT training rather than replace existing support to individual colleagues-in-training.
 

You can find a list of the Champions of Flexible Working via region below:
 

 

 

Guardians of Safe Working Reports

Below are our Guardian of Safe Working reports from July 2022 - July 2024, in addition to our timetable for Guardians of Safe Working yearly publications: 

HR Commerical Services Council Period Covered
January 2023 July 22 to September 22
April 2023 October 22 to December 22
May 2023 January 23 to March 23
October 2023 April 23 to June 23
January 2024 July 23 to September 23
April 2024 October 23 to December 23
July 2024 January 24 to March 24
October 2024 April 24 to June 24