Bulletin – May 2026

Posted on:

National Walking Month

Mental Health Awareness Week – 11-17 May

Global Accessibility Awareness Day – 21 May

Other national campaigns this month

Action for happiness calendar – Meaningful May

Introduction

The football and rugby seasons are coming to a close, cricket is starting (even if it is really cold), music festivals are nearly here and the sun has started to shine – this can only mean that Foundation Programme ARCPs are approaching! For those of you who have already completed F1, you will have been through this before, but if you’re new to it, I can reassure you that nearly all Foundation Programme doctors have successful ARCPs and progress to the next stage of their career.

ARCP myths

In my many years working with Foundation programme doctors, I have come across many whispers and myths about Annual Reviews of Competence Progression (ARCPs), so I thought I might try to address some of these:

Myth 1: I don’t have to get an outcome 1 or 6 at ARCP, it’s there to help my development

ARCP is a summative assessment, to ensure that you have reached the appropriate standard to move on, either into the next stage of the Foundation Programme or the next stage of medical training, and you cannot progress without an outcome 1 (for F1s) or outcome 6 (for F2s). You should have received feedback throughout the year from your clinical teams and from your supervisor to support your development.

Myth 2: I don’t have to complete everything on the ARCP checklist

Whilst ARCP is a summative assessment, it is not like exams that you have done in the past when you needed 60%, 70% or 80% to pass: for an ARCP outcome 1 or 6, you need to complete everything on the ARCP checklist.

The ARCP checklist comes from the Foundation Programme curriculum, which has been approved by the GMC as the regulator of the medical profession, so it is not up to any individual or panel which parts do not need to be achieved!

Myth 3: If I don’t get an outcome 1 or 6, I have failed

As I mentioned above, whilst ARCP is a summative assessment, it’s not an exam, so it can’t be failed. Doctors are people, so develop at different rates – some need a bit of extra time and/or support to reach the standard required to progress. As long as you progress to the next stage of training at some point, any extra time really doesn’t matter and won’t count against you at a later stage in your career.

Myth 4: I can only use SLEs as evidence for the 13 FPCs

SLEs are a very good way of showing your abilities and are good as evidence for the FPCs – but they are not the only way of demonstrating curricular outcomes. You can use teaching sessions or courses that you’ve done, reflective pieces, written feedback like emails, indeed just about anything that you can put into your e-portfolio!

Myth 5: Getting everything together for my ARCP takes lots of hard work

Ideally you shouldhave collected everything that you need for an outcome 1 or 6 as you have gone through your training year, and most supervisors and training programme directors will have checked to see whether you were on track on at least one occasion during the year.

However, it is your professional responsibility to collect all of the evidence that you need. If you’re not sure what is required, ask your educational supervisor, foundation training programme director or a more senior colleague who has been through it before NOW, don’t wait until a day or two before ARCPs begin!

In addition to asking around, the UKFPO team have worked really hard with colleagues throughout the UK to put together lots of information about ARCP which is available on the UKFPO ARCP web pages.

Good luck!

Take care of yourself and each other.

Dr Mike Masding
National Clinical Director, UKFPO

Notices and announcements

GMC National training survey (NTS) 2026 – closes 6 May

The 2026 GMC NTS is open until Wednesday 6 May. If you are a foundation doctor who was in post on the census date (24 March 2026), please take the short time (approximately 20 minutes) to complete the survey. Further information on the GMC website: GMC National training survey

UKFPO Fellow appointments for FP2026

Thank you to everyone who applied for the 2026-27 UKFPO Fellow positions. We received a high number of strong applications and are pleased to introduce our two new Fellows for the next training year, starting in August 2026:

  • Dr Aisia Lea, Trent Foundation School
  • Dr Saminah Shareef, North West of England Foundation School

Doctor perspectives on ophthalmology training survey

“With 102 training posts nationally and 2000+ applicants, ophthalmology is highly competitive but early exposure remains limited. By completing this survey, you can tell us about ophthalmology support and exposure during the foundation programme.

The survey explores:

  • How your interest in ophthalmology developed
  • Barriers to gaining experience and specialisation
  • The solutions and support that you would like as an applicant

The project is supported by two consultant leads from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, ensuring your views reach the highest levels of leadership.”

Complete the ophthalmology training survey

This survey is being run by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, and any findings do not represent the views of UKFPO

Spotlight on educational resources

A case based introduction to genomics and its relevance to your everyday practice – Monday 8 June 2026 1:30pm-4:30pm

The South West Genomic Medicine Service (based in south west England) is offering an interactive online case-based introduction to genomics for UK foundation doctors. Attendance is free and you need to sign up to receive joining details. All the information is available on our events page: A case based introduction to genomics

SCRIPT elearning – Module spotlight

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week (11-17 May), this month we’re highlighting SCRIPT modules that focus on the management of patients with mental health conditions.

  • Introduction to Psychiatry – covers the principles of mental health legislation, including the implications for prescribing and administration of medicines. 
  • Disorders of Psychosis
  • Bipolar Affective Disorder
  • Depression, Anxiety & Insomnia – Psychiatric Symptom Management in General Hospital Settings
  • Rapid Tranquillisation & Antipsychotics – Psychiatric Symptom Management in General Hospital Settings

These modules may be especially helpful for those undertaking mental health placements or when managing patients with mental health conditions in any clinical setting.

All foundation doctors have free access to SCRIPT. You can sign up and access SCRIPT here: https://foundation.safeprescriber.org/login

Webinars

Recent webinars

See our Webinars page for recordings of all UKFPO webinars.

If there are any specific topics you think we have missed or you wish for us to cover in our educational webinar series, please send your suggestions to foundation.educationandsupport@nhs.net

Opportunities and events

BSACI Medical Scholarships Scheme 2026 for doctors interested in Adult Allergy and Clinical Immunology

BSACI is offering financial support to resident doctors to facilitate their ability to attend the BSACI Annual Conference 2026 at the ICC Wales on 11-13 October 2026. The BSACI medical scholarships scheme 2026 is open to FY2 doctors, Clinical Fellows and IMT doctors in the UK. The deadline to apply is Friday 29 May 2026.

RCOG Careers Day – 13 June 2026

This free virtual event is designed for medical students and foundation doctors considering a career in O&G, offering insights into the specialty, career pathways and training opportunities.

In collaboration with The British Undergraduate Society for O&G (BUSOG), this event will feature inspiring talks from leaders in the field, key information about career progression and training, interactive Q&A sessions and on-demand access to talks from O&G specialist societies. 

For more information, including the programme and registration details, visit: https://rcog.eventsair.com/rcog-careers-2026/ 

TIPSQI: free national foundation doctor QI conference – 30 June 2026 6:00pm-9:00pm

This virtual national conference will showcase the excellent quality improvement work undertaken by FDs across the UK; as well as the provide opportunity to present and to learn more about quality improvement. All the information is in the attached event poster: TIPSQI Summer Showcase 2026 advert

The Left Field Shift – Submit your own “thrival” guide!

The Left Field Shift project aims to support foundation doctors relocating to remote and rural areas where they may not have any established networks, while celebrating the unique benefits such areas can offer. We are producing a growing library of “thrival” guides, containing useful information and insights from foundation doctors across the UK. Visit the Left Field Shift webpage to learn more about this initiative and how current foundation doctors can get involved.

Humans of the Foundation Programme

New articles published this month:

See our Humans of the Foundation Programme webpage for more information, including how to submit your own article. We invite honesty and openness, and also encourage you to consider the impact on your employer, foundation school and colleagues. Please discuss any specific issues or challenges you are experiencing with your local team, and seek support when needed.

Foundation elearning project (elfh) update

Review the April 2026 elfh update