Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT & CESR CP) for applicants that entered the run-through programme in 2007 onwards

For a paediatrician to take up a substantive, honorary or fixed-term consultant appointment in the NHS, it is a legal requirement that they must be listed on the Specialist Register at the General Medical Council (GMC).

For entry to the Specialist Register a trainee must apply to the College for confirmation of completion of training (Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration Combined Programme (CESR CP)). The College will make an assessment of your training and make a recommendation to the GMC.

The successful completion of a recognised UK paediatric training programme is marked by the issue of an outcome six Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) by the Postgraduate Deanery.

A CCT application and CESR CP application are primarily the same, and the same application form is used. Your Regional Adviser will indicate on the form for us which route you are following. Additional documentation in support of your previous level one training outside a UK approved training post will be required. Please read the completing the application section below, which will give you more detail of this additional documentation.

The route you took to enter the Specialist Register does not appear on the register at the GMC.

It may be useful to take a look at our list of Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 41KB, 3 pages)

Applying for the CCT/CESR CP application pack
Completing the application
What happens next?

Applying for the CCT/CESR CP application pack

For entry to the Specialist Register, the trainee must apply to the College for confirmation of their completion of training. The CCT/CESR CP application pack can be requested from the certification team in the Education and Training Support Centre. The application pack contains full guidance notes on how to complete the application.

Trainees are strongly advised to begin the application process once they are within six months of their CCT/CESR CP date, as the process can take some time to complete. If a recommendation is made to the GMC by the College six months past the CCT date, it may result in the GMC requesting further documentation, including reasons for the delay and evidence of professional activities since the CCT date (such as CPD certificates, meeting attendance and audit).

Please let us know when requesting the CCT/CESR CP application pack if you are seeking subspecialty recognition, and we will supply you with contact details for the relevant subspecialty Training Adviser or please view CSAC contact details.

Please note: 

• In October 2012 the GMC issued new timeframes for applying for CCT. Please read the attached GMC flyer (PDF, 68.5KB, 2 pages) for further information.
• The College will take six weeks to process an application. Please do not leave it too late as the College cannot influence the GMC over the request for further documentation in support of delayed CCT/CESR CP applications.
• If you do not appear on the Specialist Register by the time you are due to start a consultant post you will need to request a locum contract from your Trust.
• The College will continue to charge for your Training fees until we have processed your CCT/CESR CP application.

Completing the application

Various documents are required in support of the CCT/CESR CP application, which include:

• The completed College application form signed by:

a) The Applicant

b) The RCPCH Regional Adviser (view regional adviser contact details)

c) The Postgraduate Dean or Head of School

d) The RCPCH Training Adviser for the relevant College Specialty Advisory Committee (CSAC). If the trainee is seeking subspecialty recognition on the Specialist Register (list of recognised subspecialties) a grid programme must have been completed (and therefore this does not include a special interest). The subspecialty Training Adviser should not be based in the same region as the applicant and the CSAC chair is not permitted to sign the application. 

• A detailed CV. As specific post information is required for the CCT/CESR CP process, it is strongly advised that trainees follow the College guidance for the CV, as set out in the template for CV (PDF, 20KB, 2 pages). The CV we require differs to that of a CV submitted in support of a job application.
• We no longer require you to send us your original MRCPCH certificate, as your exam details are kept on our database.
• ARCPS from all levels of your training issued by the Deanery during the training programme must be available to view on e-Portfolio. Otherwise, paper copies will need to be supplied to the College with your application.
• CESR CP applicants must include evidence of satisfactory performance in posts that are counting towards their level one training, but were not in a UK approved post. This is usually the documentation that was submitted to the Deanery at the time of interview, to determine your entry level of training.
• GMC approval for OOPT/OOPR and acting up posts must be available. This will have been issued prospectively to taking up the post. If you wish to count a period of acting up, up to three months pro rata can count. For further information regarding acting up posts please read Acting Up guidance
• If a LAT (Locum Appointment for Training) post/s is included in the training programme (up to 24 months can count), we will require evidence that the post/s was approved for training by the Regional Adviser. You should have sent your LAT form to the College for approval prospectively (unless the post was before 30.09.11, and retrospective approval may have been granted). For further information please read LAT post guidance

Please note: It is strongly advised that CCT/CESR CP documentation be sent to the College via recorded delivery. Incomplete/misplaced applications may result in the award of a CCT/CESR CP being delayed.

What happens next?

Once the above documentation is received at the College, the application will be assessed to ensure we have everything required by the GMC. The Officer for Training will approve the application, and the College will make a recommendation to the GMC.

When the recommendation is made to the GMC, the College will inform the applicant by signed letter.

If an applicant is:

• Within six months of their CCT/CESR CP date (no more than six months prior to or six months after their expected CCT/CESR CP date) they will be contacted directly by the GMC (via email) to apply on their new GMC Connect website (the College will have already supplied your contact details to them). You can complete the GMC online application before the College has made its recommendation.
• Over six months past their CCT /CESR CP date applicants will also apply using the online GMC Connect system. However, may be asked to supply additional paper documentation of activities since CCT/CESR CP date. Please bear in mind that your CCT/CESR CP date does not appear on the Specialist Register or your certificate, just the date they were issued, even if this is a long time later.

It is at this point that the applicant will need to pay the GMC fee, which is currently £390. The fee is set by and made payable online at GMC Connect. The GMC fee will need to be paid before your CCT/CESR CP can be awarded. Please do not send cheques for the £390 directly to the College.

The GMC take up to three weeks to process an application once the recommendation and fee have been received. If you have not received your CCT/CESR CP after the three weeks has passed you are advised to contact the GMC directly.

There is a six month period of grace after the end of training during which the trainee may retain their NTN if a consultant post has not been secured. One-off extensions beyond the period of grace may be granted in exceptional circumstances by the Postgraduate Dean/Head of School.

Application for NHS consultant posts may be made if the date of interviews is not more that six months before the expected CCT/CESR CP date.

Once you have secured a consultant post you are advised to register with the RCPCH Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme. This is free to join for Members and Fellows of the College.  Doctors who are not members of the RCPCH can also join the CPD scheme, subject to an annual fee. For more information please visit the CPD page of the website.