CCST criteria

The Criteria Agreed with the Specialist Training Authority for the Award of the CCST in Public Health Medicine (for those completing higher specialist training from 01 January 1997)

SUMMARY

Required are: GMC Registration, 2 years of General Professional Training, 4 years of Higher Specialist Training, and Membership of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom.

1. GMC Registration

Full or limited registration as a medical practitioner with the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom throughout the whole period of training.

2. General Professional Training

24 months (whole time equivalent) experience in supervised medical training posts after obtaining full registration (or its overseas equivalent i.e. Post internship)

  1. At least 12 months (whole time equivalent) must be in specialties involving direct clinical responsibility for patient care.
  2. Training time counted for General Professional Training must not also be counted for Higher Specialist Training.
  3. If more than 12 months (whole time equivalent) of General Professional Training or Higher Specialist Training is counted from outside the European Economic Area the CCST will be endorsed to show that fact.

3. Higher Specialist Training

48 months of satisfactorily completed supervised training in posts approved by the Faculty of Public Health or other competent bodies in the European Economic Area.

  1. All the training periods for higher specialist training are given as whole time equivalents, and training which is less than half time (calculated on a weekly basis) will not be counted.
  2. At least 24 months must be in Specialist Registrar posts in the United Kingdom.
  3. Up to 24 months may be undertaken in prospectively approved training post either in the European Economic Area or outside the European Economic Area.
  4. At least 12 months must be spent in Type I Higher Specialist Training programme, obtained in open competition.
  5. The training must include a continuous block of at least 3 months in communicable disease control and environmental health, in a service location within the NHS (or equivalent in each country of the United Kingdom) or the Defence Medical Services.
  6. The training must include at least 12 months in a service location within the NHS (or equivalent in each country of the United Kingdom) or the Defence Medical Services in addition to the 3 months in communicable disease control and environmental health.
  7. The training must exclude periods of leave of absence in excess of three months (whole time equivalent) summing over the whole training period. If absences of lesser duration occur, appropriate efforts must be made to fill resulting gaps in the programme as assessed by the RITA process. If this is not achieved the CCST date will be modified accordingly.
  8. The training must exclude time spent on academic courses of study for Diploma & Part I MFPH examination, whether taken full time or part time.
  9. Satisfactory completion of training must be attested by a completed final RITA form.
  10. Training time counted for Higher Specialist Training must not also be counted for General Professional Training.
  11. The training may include:
    • Either one year research if not involving service public health
    • Or up to two years if it is health services research with service public health involvement.
  12. The training may include up to 3 months in an acting NHS Consultant post in the Specialist Registrar's own Deanery, prospectively agreed by the Deanery Training Co-ordinator with a named Educational Supervisor, with the Specialist Registrar retaining their Specialist Registrar contract and NTN.
  13. The training may include up to 12 months in formal prospectively recognised Locum Appointment -- Training posts (LAT) and fixed term training appointments (FTTAs). Exceptionally, this time may be extended if approved by the Education/Faculty Advisors' Committee and postgraduate dean.
  14. The training may include up to 24 months spent in supervised training posts in the field of Public Health Medicine in the United Kingdom or overseas before the Trainee enters the Higher Specialist Training programme, if this is recommended by the local Specialty Training Committee and approved by the Education/Faculty Advisors' Committee of the Faculty of Public Health (so-called 'retrospective recognition' of training).

4. Membership of the Faculty of Public Health

The Specialist Registrar must have been admitted to Membership of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom either by examination or as a result of the formal recognition arrangements for MFPH (Ireland).

September 2003