INTERNATIONAL

MEDICAL GRADUATES
WELCOME BOOKLET

Page 1 of 40
Contents Page

Pre-Arrival in the UK
 Accommodation 5
 Airport Transfer 5
 Trust Laptop 5
Arrival in the UK
 Meeting at Accommodation 6

Things to be Mindful of
 Payslip 7
o PAYE
o National Insurance
o NHS Pensions
 Living Expenses 8
Induction Activities
 Welcome Breakfast 9
 Collection of BRP 9
 National Insurance Number 9
 Setting Up Bank Accounts 9
 IT Access 10
 Professional Registration 10
 Appraisal 11
 Annual Leave 11
 Study Leave 12

Benefits of Working at DGT

 Staff Gym 13
 Mutli-Professional Library 13
 Salary Sacrifice Scheme 13
 Arriva Bus Discounts 13
 Blue Light Card 14

Local Shops of interest 14-17

Using your Bank Card 17
Registering with a GP 19
Registering with a Dentist 21
Sponsorship Information 22
Dependent Visa 23

Our DGT
 Values 25

Page 2 of 40
  Freedom to Speak Up 26
 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 26

Our Human Resources Department

 HR Advisory Support Service 27
 Occupational Health 27
 Health and Wellbeing Team 27
 Medical Education 27
 Staff Development 27

Our Systems
 ADAGIO 29
 ESR Employee Self Service (ESS) 29
 Employee Online 29
 Easy Expense System 29
 Social Media 30

Useful Emails and Contact Number 31

Maternity and Paternity Leave 32
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust Behaviours 34
Roles and Responsibilities of Junior Doctors and Training
 Role of Junior Doctors on the Wards 36
 Training Support for IMG
o Educational and Clinical Supervisor 39
o Teaching 39
o Mandatory Courses 39
o Welcome to the UK 40
o Audit Quality Improvement 40

Page 3 of 40
 THANK YOU
FOR SELECTING
DARTFORD AND GRAVESHAM NHS
TRUST
TO BE YOUR EMPLOYER

Page 4 of 40
 Pre-Arrival in the UK
Accommodation

Prior to arriving in the UK you need to make some key decisions regarding your
accommodations. The first thing you need to decide is whether you the Trust to support
you with finding accommodation or whether you wish to find accommodation yourself.
Typically Trust located accommodation costs between £620 - £725 per month depending on
the location of the property. Note: Please be aware that the Trust will only provide single
person accommodation and therefore cannot provide support if you are travelling with your
family.
Action Point: Please confirm whether you wish to accept Trust placed accommodate or
arrange your own accommodation.

Airport Transfer

You also need to decide on how you wish to transfer from the airport to your chosen
accommodation. The options available to you are:
Option 1
The Trust is happy to arrange for you to be met at the airport by a taxi driver who will drop
you at your pre-arranged accommodation, where you will be met by a member of the
International Recruitment Team if you are staying at Trust arranged accommodation. You
can either pay for the taxi transfer in cash on arrival in the UK or the transfer fee can be
deducted from your first salary.
Option 2
You can utilise public transport to travel to Dartford/Greenhithe as appropriate and
onwards to your accommodation.
Action Point: Please confirm whether you wish to accept Trust placed accommodate or
arrange your own accommodation.

Trust Laptop

Should you require it, the Trust is able to loan you a laptop to assist you in the complete of
mandatory training, etc. The laptop would be loaned to you for a period of 12wks, however
we would need to know in advance of your arrival should you require this.
Action Point: Confirm if you require the loan of a Trust laptop
If you do not require this, please note that the UK has different plug sockets. Therefore,
ensure you check this prior to your department to ensure you have purchased any required
adaptors in advance of your arrival.

Page 5 of 40
 Arrival in the UK
Meeting at accommodation
If you are staying at Trust provided accommodation a member of the International
Recruitment Team will meet you are your accommodation upon your arrival to welcome
you. Upon your arrival you will receive basic food provisions to last you a few days, a UK
SIM card with a £10 credit on it and a Trust laptop if you have requested the loan of one.
You will be provided with key information relating to the accommodation where you are
residing and the next steps, such as when you will be required on site at DVH. Please note
that you may be required to visit Darent Valley Hospital (DVH) prior to your initial start date
to attend a familiarisation event, whereby you will be introduced to other recent
international recruits, you will be given an opportunity to meet your Trust ‘buddy’, have an
opportunity to meet with HSBC onsite and open a UK bank account and have support
accessing your NHS Email account and Engage training account.

If you are staying in privately arranged accommodation, the International Recruitment Team
will arrange a convenient date and time to meet with you on-site at Darent Valley Hospital
at a convenient date and time shortly after your arrival.

Page 6 of 40
 Things to Be Mindful Of
Payslip

PAYE

A ‘pay as you earn’ (PAYE) tax is a withholding of taxes on income payments to employees.
Every time your salary is paid, your employer deducts Income Tax, Pay Related Social
Insurance and Universal Social Charge and pays the amount deducted to the HMRC on your
behalf. Your PAYE contribution help to pay for services like education, policing and
healthcare.
It is calculated and the amount paid is based on how much an employee earns during the
pay period, which is typically 1 month in the UK. The UK tax authority provides a personal
allowance to eligible workers. This is the amount that employers can earn in a year before
having to pay tax

National Insurance

This is a fundamental component of the welfare state in the UK. It acts as a form of social
security, since payment of National Insurance contributions establishes entitlement to
certain state benefits for workers and their families, depending on whether you are
employed or self-employed, such as State Pension and Maternity Allowance.

NHS Pensions

Contributions paid into this pension scheme will build up and remain in the scheme and will
be paid out when you reach your normal pension age, unless you opt out the pension. As a
member you pay a contribution towards your pension based upon your pensionable
earnings; the more you earn, the higher your contribution rate may be. Your employer also
contributes to your pension. To opt-out of the NHS pension you would need to completed
and SD502 form which can be found on www.gov.uk
The screen shot below provides a view payslip and how to read the incomings and
outgoings:

Page 7 of 40
Living Expenses

In addition to paying rent, you should be aware that you will also be required to pay a
number of household bills including:

 Council Tax
Council Tax is a tax on your property, collected by your local authority. The amount
you pay will depend on where you live, as different local authorities charge different
amounts. It doesn’t matter if you rent or own the property, you still have to pay
council tax. The Council Tax you pay goes towards local services such as policing, fire
services, education, parks and household rubbish collections.

 Water Bill

 Electricity Bill
Note: you can often get a supplier who will provide both gas and electricity to you on
a combined bill

 Gas Bill
Note: you can often get a supplier who will provide both gas and electricity to you on
a combined bill

 TV Licence
A TV licence is required to watch or record TV programmes as they are being shown
on TV or live on an online TV service, or to download or watch BBC programmes on
demand, including catch up TV on BBC IPlayer. A TV licence costs £159 per year
(2022) and can be paid for in monthly instalments, quarterly or yearly. You can
purchase a TV licence via Pay for your TV Licence - TV Licensing ™

 Internet/Broadband

We would also recommend that you get:

 Home contents insurance

Page 8 of 40
Home contents insurance covers you against loss, theft or damage to your personal
and home possessions. It can also cover you if your take items out of the home, on
holiday, for example (depending on the policy type). The insurance covers your own
possessions and those of close family member living with you.

Page 9 of 40
 Induction Activities
Welcome Breakfast

Shortly after your arrival in the UK you will be invited to attend a Welcome Breakfast in our
wellbeing marque. This event will provide you with an opportunity to meet and interact
with our other new International arrivals (nurses, AHP and midwives), as well as meeting
with senior members of the Trust, your buddy and members of the Medical Staffing and
International Recruitment Team.
Following this event and depending on the stage of your induction programme, you will be
invited to spend additional time with your buddy receiving a tour of where you will be
working and learning more about the role. You will then be invited back to the wellbeing
marque to spend time with the International Recruitment Team setting up your IT access to
the various systems and if you wish to attend a bank open session from HSBC.

Collection of BRP Card

You will be able to collect your BRP card from Dartford Post Office which is located within
WHSmith, 19-21 High Street, Dartford, DA1 1DT. The Post Office opening times are:
Monday to Friday 9am – 5.30pm
Saturday 8.30am – 6pm
Sunday 10am – 2pm

Once you have collected your BRP, you need to grant us access to view your BRP’s
electronically and obtain proof of your right to work. Therefore, you need to access the link
below and follow the steps provided:

Prove your right to work to an employer - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

National Insurance Number

You will find your National Insurance Number on the back of your BRP card. You will need
to provide us with details of this number, as this information will need to be added to your
paperwork and shared with Payroll.

Setting Up Bank Accounts

There are several ways for you to open a UK bank account and we can assist you with this as
much or as little as you like. Please find below details of the options available to you:
i) You can open online bank account – simple, easy and quick, however there are
no physical branches for you to visit should you have queries you wish to discuss.
The two online accounts we would recommend you use are:
a. Current Accounts | Open a Bank Account Online | Monzo

Page 10 of 40
 b. Revolut Card | Revolut
ii) You can visit any High Street Branch (or visit their website) and request to open a
current account. They will need site of your passport, BRP card and an
Employment Confirmation Letter from the Trust which will be provided to you
upon your arrival in the UK. The Branch (or website) will then advise you of the
steps to take and paperwork to complete to set up the bank account. Once
processed the account information, passcodes and debit cards will be emailed
and/or posted out to you.
iii) Once a month representatives of HSBC Bank visit the Trust specifically to meet
with our new international recruits. They talk to them about available products,
help them complete the online application and fast-track the new account set up
at the branch. Ensuring all bank accounts are set up and returned to our new
international recruits in time for to meet our Payroll deadlines. This approach
requires a consent to share form to be signed prior to the bank representatives
arriving on site so we can forward them copies of your passport and a copy of
your Employment Confirmation Letter

Note: See using you card on page 17 which will provide useful information on using your
card to make purchases

IT Access

Upon joining the Trust, you will have been set up with access to the Trust computer system
and will have an NHS email account. A member of the International Recruitment Team will
arrange a time to meet with you, prior to you starting on the ward, to assist you in gaining
access the Trust system, NHS mail and to our in-house training system; Engage.
For future use the links you will need to access the systems will be:
NHS Mail NHSmail 2 Portal - Home
Engage Sign In (dvh.nhs.uk)
Please note you can also access Engage via the Trust’s intranet site Adagio. We would
encourage you to create an Adagio user account too and you can assess Adagio via the
below link:
Login :: Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (dgt.nhs.uk)

Professional Registration

You will need a General Medical Council (GMC) registration to work in the UK, however we
appreciate that you may not be fully registered upon your arrival. Please find below some
information on how to contact the GMC:

 gmc@gmc-uk.org for registration queries, guidance on raising a concern and all

other enquiries
 standards@gmc-uk.org for ethical guidance enquiries
 press@gmc-uk.org for media and press enquiries

Page 11 of 40
Appraisal

Each doctor will receive a yearly appraisal, which can be used towards revalidation. The
appraisals process consists of 3 parts:

 Inputs to appraisal, preparation before appraisal

 Confidential appraisal discussion
 Outputs from appraisal

The appraise should complete the Medical Appraisal Guide (MAG) form and send it to the
appraiser prior to the appraisal date. If there are problems with attaching supporting
information electronically, this can be sent to the appraiser in paper form.

Annual Leave

Your annual leave year will run from your date of appointment to the Trust, and not a
calendar year or a financial year.

Grade Leave Entitlement

FY1/FY1/SHO 27 Days
SAS/ST3+ 32 Days
Consultant 32 Days 34 Days( after 7 years)

The British Bank Holidays you will be entitled to are;

 New Year’s Day 1st January

 Good Friday and Easter Monday Dates to be determined
 Early May Bank Holiday Date to be determined
 Spring Bank Holiday Date to be determined
 Summer Bank Holiday Date to be determined
 Christmas Day and Boxing Day 25th and 26th December, or next subsequent
working day if they fall on a weekend

Requests for annual leave must be submitted in writing at least 6 weeks before the start
date of the annual leave. Late or incomplete annual leave requests may be granted
following consideration, at the discretion of the Clinical Director.
Leave requests will not be granted for nights, on-call, weekends or bank holidays unless a
swap is arranged and secured with colleagues for any commitments. This will be recognised
in the job planning as ‘prospective cover’.

Page 12 of 40
Study Leave

Study leave is defined as leave from employment that is designed to improve clinical
development, linked to professional guidelines as laid out by national bodies (for example
GMC’s Duties of a Doctor document, the Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties and the
Postgraduate Deaneries).
All staff should agree any training and development with their line manager. This includes
training funded by the Trustor any external funding arrangements. If time off work is
required, this must be agreed with the line manager prior to booking onto a course or
programme. Approval will be subject to service commitments being covered and at least
6wks notice being provided.
1 week of study leave (5 days) prior to an examination, can be applied for in each training
years as private study leave. However, this is dependent on the leave not negatively
impacting on service delivery.

Page 13 of 40
 Benefits of Working at DGT
Staff Gym

The staff gym is situated in the Physio department on the ground floor, and is open to staff
to use. Personal trainers, Dan and David, are available on a Tuesday and Thursday between
5-7pm to provide training and guidance. The gym is also open to staff every weekday
between 12:15-1pm for a quick lunchtime workout.
The use of our gym facilities cost £10 a month, which are taken directly out of your wages. It
is worth noting that a typical one to one personal training session can cost £40 p/hr so this is
a great opportunity to get some quality guidance for a fraction of the cost.
The gym is a great way to have fun and meet your fellow colleagues.
If you are interested in joining up or have any queries then you can contact Dan via his
email: danhayes_pt@yahoo.co.uk

Multi-Professional Library

The Trust also has a large multi-professional library open to all staff and situated adjacent to
the Education Centre, level 1 DVH. Please visit the library to get a full idea of the range and
scope of resources and training they have on offer.

Salary Sacrifice Scheme

A salary sacrifice arrangement means an employee agrees to give up the right to receive
part of their gross salary in exchange for a non-cash benefit. You can sign up for a range of
goods such as cars, biked, phones, home electronics (tablets, computers, camera,
televisions) and a range of white goods (dishwashers, fridge freezers, washing machines) as
part of the salary sacrifice scheme. The scheme offers tax benefits and therefore products
will cost less than if purchased directly.
Please be aware that salary sacrifice may affect an employee’s entitlement to earning and
contributions based benefits. It is important that staff read and understand the terms of the
scheme prior to committing to taking products, to ensure it is right for them. Search for
‘staff benefits’ or ‘salary sacrifice’ on ADAGIO for further information.

Arriva Bus Discounts

Arriva and NHS Business Services Authority have joined together to offer savings on local Arriva bus
travel.

NHS Business Services Authority | Employer Travel Club | Arriva Bus

Page 14 of 40
Blue Light Card

Members of the Emergency Services, including the NHS, are eligible to apply for a Blue Light
Card. For just £4.99, member of the Blue Light community can register for 2-years access to
more than 15,000 discounts, often up to 10%, from large national retailers to local
businesses across categories such as holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance,
phones and much, much more.
To apply for a Blue Light Card visit www.bluelightcard.co.uk/newaccount
Download the App
Instagram @bluelightcard

Page 15 of 40
 Local Shops of Interest
International Convenience Store

Is a convenience store in Dartford town centre, specialising in Halal meat and Afro-
Caribbean and International food. This friendly local store offers in-store shopping, in-store
pick-up and delivery.

Address: 12 Lowfield St, Dartford, DA1 1HA

Tel No: 01322 273 267
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 7.30pm
Sunday 10am to 6pm

Charis Continental Food

Address: 63 High Street, Dartford, DA1 1DJ

Tel No: 01322 278 090

Page 16 of 40
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm
Sunday Closed

Foods4U

Has a wide range of south African foods and gifts under the one roof.
Address: Manford Industrial Estate, Unit 5, Manor Road, Erith, DA8 2AJ
Tel No: 01322 340 318
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 3pm
Sunday Closed

Tasty African Restaurant

African cuisine is provided at this restaurant with prices ranging from £8-£20 per person.

Address: Unit 27 Prior Centre, 25 Lowfield Street, Dartford

Tel No: 01322 271 768
Website: tastyafricanfood.com
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 12pm to 8.45pm

Asda Superstore Greenhithe

This superstore offers groceries, clothing, household items (ranging from crockery to towels
and bedding), an optician, pharmacy, café and ATM. There is also a petrol station in close
proximity.

Page 17 of 40
Address: Crossways Blvd, Dartford, Greenhithe, Kent, DA9 9BT
Tel No: 01322 374 100
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 6am to 12am
Saturday 6am to 10pm
Sunday 11am to 5pm

Bluewater

Bluewater Shopping Centre is an out of town shopping centre in Stone, Kent. The shopping
centre has a triangular floor place with around 330 stores, 40 cafes and restaurants and a 17
screen cinema. Bluewater is around a 15-20min bus ride from Darent Valley hospital, with
buses leaving from directly outside the hospital fairly frequently. Available bus services
include: No 96 and 428, as well as fasttrack services. Bus tickets can be purchased on the
day, on the bus or in advance via an oyster card, although these are not valid on fasttrack
services.
Address: Bluewater Parkway, Dartford, Greenhithe, DA9 9ST
Tel No: 01322 475 475
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10am to 9pm
Saturday 9am to 9pm
Sunday 11am to 5pm
Note: opening times are for the shops, and restaurants and the cinemas are open beyond
the above stated times

Page 18 of 40
B&M Home Store

This is a Warehouse like chain home improvement store that sell home improvement, DIY,
garden equipment and furniture.
Address: Princes Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 1LA
Tel No: 0330 838 9742
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 8am – 9pm
Sunday 11am – 5pm

Using your Bank Card

In the UK, there are two main ways to use your debit or credit cards when purchasing items
in person;

 Contactless payments
 Chip and pin

Contactless payments are payments made by waving or tapping your contactless device –
using a card or smartphone – over a reader, which then accepts the payment. However,
you should be aware that after a certain number of contactless payments your card will
automatically make you complete at least one chip and pin transaction to verify the user of
the card.
Chip and pin is the technology that lets you make secure payments using a card whereby
you enter a four-digit personal identification number into the terminal.

Page 19 of 40
 Registering with a GP
General Practitioner (GP) surgeries are usually your first point of contact if you have a health
problem. They can treat many conditions and give health advice and can refer you to other
NHS services. However, in an emergency you should contact

Alternatively, if you think you need medical help right now, but it is not an emergency or
life-threatening then you can contact:

You should contact 111 to speak to someone if you need to:

 Discuss complex medical problems

 Discuss worries about a long-term condition
 Get end-of-life care, or report a death
 Report child protection or vulnerable adult concerns

Given the GP will likely be your primary contact point, it is essential that you register with a
General Practitioner as soon as possible. Below is a list of GP surgeries in the local area, to
help you find one that may be suitable. please be aware though that this list is not
exhaustive. To further assist you in your search and to find out what the surgeries offer,
please utilise the below link:
Find a GP - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Ways to Register with a GP

In the first instance you should check the GP website to see if you can register online. If you
are unable to find any information on the GPs website, then you can contact the GP surgery
directly to enquire how to register.
You may be asked to completed a GMS1 registration form, these can be found on the
www.gov.uk website or How to register with a GP surgery - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
A GP surgery can only refuse to register you for one of the following reasons:

 they are not taking any new patients

 you live outside the practice boundary and they are not accepting patients form out
of their area
 you have been removed form that GP surgery before
 it’s a long way from your home and you need extra care, for example home visits

Page 20 of 40
If you encounter any problems registering with a GP surgery you can contact the below for
advice:

 NHS England Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 22 33

 Your local Healthwatch

Some local available GP surgeries are:

Dr Shimmins C J & Partners Elmdene Surgery

Pilgrims Way Horns Cross
Dartford 273 London Road
DA1 1QY Greenhithe
01322 421 480 DA9 382 010
1.02 miles from the Trust 0.79 miles from the Trust

Dartford East Health Centre The Surgery

Pilgrims Way Bennett Way
Dartford Darenth
DA1 1QY DA2 7JT
01322 279 881 01474 707 662
1.02 miles from the Trust 1.03 miles from the Trust

Ivy Bower Surgery The New Surgery

7 Ivy Bower Close Beacon Drive
London Road Bean
Greenhithe Greenhithe
DA9 9NF DA2 8BG
01322 382 181 01474 708 672
1.35 miles from the Trust 1.35 miles from the Trust

Bean Village Surgery Temple Hill Practice

4 Southfleet Road St Edmunds Church Living Well
Bean St Edmunds Road
DA2 8BS DA1 5ND
01474 707 236 01322 226 090
1.42 miles from the Trust 1.75 miles from the Trust

Page 21 of 40
 Registering with a Dentist
We would also recommend that you register with a dentist as soon as you can.
Below is a list of Dental surgeries in the local area, to help you find one that may be suitable.
please be aware though that this list is not exhaustive. To further assist you in your search
and to find out what the surgeries offer, please utilise the below link:
Find a dentist - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
There is no need to register with a dentist in the same way as with a GP as you are not
bound to a catchment area. Instead, you simply need to find a dental surgery that’s
convenient for you, whether it’s near your home or work, and phone them to see if they are
accepting any new patients.
Dental surgeries may not always have the capacity to take on new NHS patients. You may
therefore have to join a waiting list, look for a different dentist who is taking on new NHS
patients, or be seen privately.
Once you find a dental surgery, you may have to fill in a registration form at the first visit,
which is just to add you to their patient database.
If you require urgent dental care out of hours, contact NHS 111, who can put you in touch
with an urgent dental service. Do NOT contact a GP, as they will not be able to offer any
urgent or emergency dental care.

Some local available dental surgeries are:

Photay & Associates Mr M S Tawana

60 The Brent 107-109 Brent Lane
Dartford Dartford
Kent Kent
DA1 1YW DA1 1QU
01322 272 622 01322 223 649
1.10 miles from the Trust 1.14 miles from the Trust

Smiledartford Dental Practice Patiali Limited

69 The Brent Greenhithe Dental Centre
Dartford The Avenue
Kent Greenhithe
DA1 1YD DA9 9NX
01322 220 677 01322 422 800
1.122 miles from the Trust 1.62 miles from the Trust

Page 22 of 40
 Sponsorship Information
As your sponsor, there are a number of changes we need to report to UKVI. Please can you
ensure that if there are any changes to the below circumstances, you notify the Medical
Staffing Team or the International Recruitment Team as soon as possible to ensure that this
activity has been reported as part of our duty as your sponsor.

 Change in work location

 Change in job title/duties
 Change to salary/working hours
 Migrant taking a period of unpaid leave

Please be aware that the Trust has sponsored you to work contracted hours, in order to
meet a number of visa requirements including the minimum salary threshold. Please ensure
that any changes to these hours are discussed first to ensure that this reflects the
requirements of your sponsorship.
When your visa is up for renewal after the 3 year’s initial sponsorship, please get in touch
with us 3 months before the expiry date so we have enough time to process your visa
extension.
Please also note, that in the unlikely event that you leave the Trust, you will also need to
notify us in order for us to retract our role as your sponsor.

Page 23 of 40
 Dependent Visa
Your partner and children can apply to join you and stay in the UK as they are your
‘dependents’, if they are eligible. However, they will need to complete separate applications
from yours and we would strongly recommend that they do not come over until after you
have passed your OSCE.
The criteria to qualify as a dependent partner or child is:

 Husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner

 Child under 18 – including if they were born in the UK during your stay
 Child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as your dependent

Evidence of your relationship will need to be provided when applying for the visa(s), such as:

 A civil partnership or marriage that is recognized in the UK

 That you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when applying
for the visa

If your child is 16 or over, they must:

 live with you (unless they’re in full-time education at boarding school, college or
university), if so you’ll need to provide evidence of their address, such as:
o a bank statement
o credit card bill
o driving license
 not married, in a civil partnership or have any children
 be financially supported by you

To apply for a spouse or dependent visa, the application will need to provide:

 A passport or other valid travel document

 Marriage Certificate for Spouse or Birth Certificate for Child
 Bank statements
 Evidence of relationship between the dependent and main applicant
 The results of your tuberculosis test (if applicable)
 The result of a criminal record check (if applicable)

Applications can be made via Confirm your visa type (visas-immigration.service.gov.uk).

The visa time would be dependency.
The Trust will need to provide you a document to certify maintenance.

Page 24 of 40
DARTFORD AND GRAVESHAM
NHS TRUST

Page 25 of 40
 Our DGT
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust was established in November 1993 and has been
awarded an overall rating of GOOD by the Care Quality Commission. We are one of the
largest hospitals trusts in North Kent, with our services serving a local population of over
500,00 people. The Trust has services across four sites;

 Darent Valley Hospital, our principle site

o Darenth Wood Road, Dartford, Kent, DA2 8DA
o 01322 428 100
o Dgn-tr.enquiries@nhs.net
 Queen Mary's Hospital
o Frognal Avenue, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 6LT
o 0208 302 2678
 Gravesham Community Hospital
o Bath Street, Gravesend, DA11 0DG
o 01474 360 500
 Erith & District Hospital.
o Park Crescent, Erith, Kent, DA8 3EE
o X-Ray Contact No: 01322 356 182

Our vision is to be an outstanding hospital Trust providing the best possible care for our
patients that is safe, well-coordinated, in the right place and designed around the patient’s
needs. Everything we do is guided by our vision and core Trust values.

Values
Our Values are critical to our success and we expect all our staff to adhere to them. They
are:

 Delivery high quality CARE WITH COMPASSION to every patient

 Demonstrating RESPECT AND DIGNITY for patients, their carer’s and our
colleagues
 STRIVING TO EXCEL in everything we do
 Sustaining the highest PROFESSIONALSTANDARDS, showing honesty, openness
and integrity in all our actions
 WORKING TOGETHER to achieve the best outcomes for our patients
We have a strong focus on innovation and improvement to deliver the best care as possible
to our patients. As our local populations are increasing, our services are undergoing a period
of expansion and service development. We are continuously looking for ways to develop
models of best practice as well as new ways of working to enhance and improve the services
we offer to our local populations.

Page 26 of 40
We are a founding member of Guys and St Thomas’ Healthcare Alliance which creates a
unique relationship that will enable us to access expertise, and the knowledge of a major
London teaching hospital closer to home. Providing better care and better outcomes for the
people of Dartford and Gravesham and the community we serve.

Freedom to Speak Up
We are committed to creating a culture where staff are empowered to speak up about any
concerns they may have. We have a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, who is supported by a
team of Freedom to Speak Up Ambassadors, who help staff across the organisation. They
act as an independent and impartial source of advice to staff at any stage or raising a
concern and they can also ensure issues are raised at a senior level. You can speak up about
anything you thing is harming the work we do, including unsafe patient care, unethical
behaviour, a bullying culture, etc.
Search for ‘Freedom to Speak Up’ on ADAGIO to see all our Ambassadors
Contact via email: dgn-tr.freedomtospeakup@nhs.net

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

DGT is committed to ensuring everyone experience joy at work. This is only possible if
everyone feels valued, included and supported.
Recognising, welcoming and celebrating diversity is key to this aim and benefits the whole
organisations as well as improving care for our patients, as we strive to become more
representative of our community.
If you want to find out more, search EDI on ADAGIO.
Contact via email: dgn-tr.edi.dgt@nhs.net

Page 27 of 40
 Our Human Resources Departments
There is a wide range of information within the HR section on ADAGIO (the trusts intranet
site) but some salient points are captured below to point you in the right direction.

HR Advisory Support Service

The Trust has an in-house HR Advisory Support Service, which consists of an Employee
Relations Manager and Senior Relations Advisor who will support managers and staff with
employee relations issues throughout the Trust.
Contactable via dgn-tr.hrsupportservice@nhs.net

Occupational Health

The Occupational Health team run a number of support services, including physiotherapy,
vaccination programmes, health and wellbeing programme and confidential advice and
support.
Contactable via dgt.healthandwellness@nhs.net

Health and Wellbeing Team

In DGT, we want to ensure that our colleagues are provided with an environment and
opportunities that encourage and enable them to lead healthy lives and make choices that
support their wellbeing. It is more important than ever to do that. Our Wellbeing Team
provides support for our staff to restore and replenish. All services available are listed on
ADAGIO; however, a few are listed below:

 Time to Talk formed of volunteers who are here to support you if you need
someone to talk to in confidence. The Time to Talk team are available to talk in
person, via phone or on teams. They can be contacted by emailing: dgn-
tr.time2talk@nhs.net. You can be assured that your conversation will be treated in
confidence and that the volunteers are able to signpost you to specialise support
should you need it
 Meditation sessions are held on a Thursday between 12-12:20pm in Education
Room 3, Philip Farrant Centre. If you are interested in attending, email: dgn-
tr.wellbeing@nhs.net

Medical Education

This team focuses on the educational needs of all medical staff. They provide in-house
programmes and financial support for medical staff to attend external training events
(subject to policy criteria being achieved).

Page 28 of 40
Staff Development

While focusing primarily on Mandatory Care Skills, this team are also responsible for
facilitating a range of soft skills training, such as Telephone & Communications Skills and
Appraisals Workshops.
Contactable on ext: 4920 or 8551

Page 29 of 40
 Our Systems
ADAGIO

This is the Trust’s internal intranet site. It contains a range of information about the Trust,
our wards and departments, our policies and procedures, guidance notes, links to systems
and much, much more.
You can access the intranet viahttps://www.dgt.nhs.uk/ and once you have received your
NHS email log-in information we would advise that you log-in and create an account so you
can access the non-public, Trust specific information.

ESR Employee Self Service (ESS)

This system gives staff access to your own data held within the Electronic Staff Records (ESR)
database. Staff can view their personal, contractual and training details and can also amend
some personal data instantly without completely paperwork.
You can access ESS from anywhere via the link Home - ESR Hub - NHS Electronic Staff Record.
Upon arranging in the UK you will be provided with instructions on how get access to your account
and details on the ESR app that you can download onto your phone.

Action Point: Please ensure contact information (address and mobile numbers), as well as
emergency contact information are maintained and kept up to date.

Employee Online

The Employee Online (EOL) system enables staff to view all aspects of their roster in the
past, present and as far into the future as the rosters have been published. This includes
rostered working days, annual leave, enhanced hours, training days and skills. EOL also
allows users to book and record bank availability.
Staff will be allowed only 6 requests per roster period unless otherwise agreed. Requests
will be calculated pro rata for part time workers. All requests will be agreed in partnership
with the manager and considered in the light of service needs and the Ward/Team
Leader/Unit Manager will endeavour, as far as possible, to meet individual requests.
However, it cannot be assumed that the roster will be developed to accommodate all
requests, including high priority requests, as service needs will take priority.
Please use the Employee Online User Guide for help, this can be found on ADAGIO.

Easy Expense System

This is the Trusts system for claiming your expenses. Whether it is for mileage, study fees,
train fares, parking fares, depending on your circumstances and the expenses you are
permitted to claim, all your expenses can be claimed through Easy. All you will need to do is
self-register with Easy Expense System to obtain an account. Instructions on how to self-

Page 30 of 40
register can be provided can be found on ADAGIO, or printed version can be provided on
request.
The Easy Expense Claim System can be accessed via
https://dgt.easy.giltbyte.com/user/login/
Any problems or issues should be emails to: dgn-te.expenses_support@nhs.net
PLEASE NOTE: Claims must be submitted for approval within 92 days, in-line with the Trusts claim
policy.

Social Media

The Trust also has an active presence on social media, including Instagram and LinkedIn, and
you can find us pages on the below:

 https://www.facebook.com/DarentValleyHsp
 https://twitter.com/DarentValleyHsp

Page 31 of 40
 Useful Emails and Contact Numbers

The Medical Staffing Team dgn-tr.medicalstaffing@nhs.net

01322 428100 ext: 8354 or 8763

The International Recruitment Team dgn-tr.dgtinternationalrecruitment@nhs.net

078616 28412 or 078616 68067

IT Helpdesk dvh.ictservicedesk@nhs.net
01322 428368 internal no: 8368

Engage Support dgt.engagesupport@nhs.net

Medical Education tracy.jollie@nhs.net

Payroll dgn-tr.payroll@nhs.net

Workforce dgn-tr.workforceinfo@nhs.net

Accommodation Manager bolanle.olowookere1@nhs.net

Page 32 of 40
 Maternity and Paternity Leave
Note: all of the below is subject to eligibility criteria being met and will be assess on a case
by case basis

How much maternity leave am I entitled to?

Consider how long you would like to take for maternity leave. Most want a bit of time
before their baby arrives to try to relax, maybe visit prospective nurseries and maybe enjoy
a last bit of quiet time!

How much paternity leave am I entitled to?

Employees who satisfy the following conditions are entitled to 2 weeks’ paternity leave,
with full pay;

 reached 12 months’ continuous service with the NHS before you plan to take leave
 have or expect to have responsibility for the child’s upbringing
 be the biological or adoptive father of the child or be the mother’s husband, partner
or nominated carer
 take time off to support the primary carer/mother or care for the new baby
 have notified your manager of your intention to take paternity leave
 have completed the Application for new parent support/paternity leave form by
15th week before the week the baby is due or as soon as is reasonably practical

When can I start my maternity leave?

Your maternity leave can start at any time after 11 weeks before your baby is due (29th
week of pregnancy). You can change your mind about when you start or finish your
maternity leave, but you have to give 28 days’ notice of any change of start date and 8
weeks’ notice of you want to change the return date.
It is important to note, that if you’re signed off sick for a pregnancy-related reason at any
time after the beginning of the 4th week before your expected week of childbirth (36th
week of pregnancy), your maternity leave will be triggered automatically, irrespective of
when you intended to start it.

Maternity Pay

How much will I be paid while I’m on maternity leave?

It’s important to get all your paperwork sorted out in advance to make sure you receive
your full maternity allowances. You’ll need to inform your human resource department
when you want your maternity leave to start and give them your MATB1 certificate.
There are two main types of maternity pay: statutory maternity pay (SMP) and NHS
maternity pay. There are different rules on who is eligible for each type.

Page 33 of 40
 Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP): To be eligible for SMP, you must have
been in continuous employment with one employer for at least 26 weeks ending
with the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth. SMP is paid for 39
weeks of your maternity leave. If you’re not eligible for SMP, you may be eligible for
a maternity allowance (MA) – your employer’s HR department will be able to advise

 NHS maternity pay: To be eligible for NHS maternity pay, you must have 1
year of continuous employment with the NHS (not necessarily the same trust),
without a break of more than 3 months, by the time of 11 weeks before your
expected week of childbirth. Under the NHS scheme, you’re entitled to 8 weeks of
full pay (less SMP/MA) and 18 weeks of half pay (less SMP/MA), then a further 13
weeks of SMP or MA, leaving 13 weeks of unpaid maternity leave if you wish to take
the full 52 weeks of maternity leave. Your NHS maternity pay is calculated on the
basis of your average weekly earnings for the 8 weeks ending with the qualifying
week, which is the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth. Gross
earnings are taken into consideration, including banding. It’s important that you
agree any changes to your working pattern with your employer, as this may affect
your maternity pay. However, if you’ve agreed with your employer that you can stop
night work, provided you continue with your normal duties and no alternative work
is available to cover the part of your job you’re not doing, you would continue to
receive your normal pay. So, if you stop night work in agreement with your employer
and occupational health, they could expect you to do other duties instead; as long as
you complied with this, your pay wouldn’t be affected.

Page 34 of 40
Dartford and Gravesham Trust Behaviours

Page 35 of 40
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF
JUNIOR DOCTORS AND TRAINING

Page 36 of 40
Role and Responsibilities of Junior Doctors on Wards
This will vary by speciality, grade and your level of experience:
1) Dependent on your specialty, the days normally start with an MDT Handover
meeting – Face to face and on TEAMS led by the nurse in charge in medical
specialties and by Doctors in Pediatrics and some other specialties. Doctors, nurses,
physiotherapists, occupational therapist and discharge coordinators all sit together
and discuss treatment plans and discharge plans for patients. On certain days,
microbiologists also join the handovers
2) It is followed by a morning ward round. Ward round is normally led by the consultant
of the day. Juniors doctors prepare medical notes before ward round starts and
contemporaneously documents as the consultant see patients. Consultants make the
management plans. A task list is created to complete all job lists
3) Jobs are split between juniors after the ward round. Normally, routine jobs involve
making requests on ICE, doing referral to medical and surgical specialties, getting
advice from specialist registrars and consultants over the phone, chasing blood and
scan reports and updating families about sick patients. Next day blood requests need
to be put out before the end of the shift so that it could be ready to be collected by
phlebotomists next morning. Juniors sometimes need to bleed patients if the request
is urgent. Juniors are supervised to perform procedures like inserting cannulas, blood
gases, ascetic drain, pleural drain and lumbar puncture. Special radiology requests
such as CT, MRI, angiogram should be discussed with on duty radiologist to get
approval
4) On some adult wards, juniors do ward rounds alone twice a week. You can always
ask seniors for advice
5) SHO in some specialties such as plastics and ENT clerk referrals themselves and then
discuss with seniors
6) Important jobs like chasing urgent reports and reviewing sick patients are handed
over to the evening on-call doctor after 5 pm
7) On-call shifts involve covering wards and clerking patients referred by General
Practice and the Emergency doctors. You will be provided an on-call rota when you
start

How to Spend your Supernumerary time?

Supernumerary is the period where you will be on training on-site with us as part of your
placement within the NHS. You should start on the wards and then shadow on-call shifts. You
should aim to develop a better understanding of how the NHS works and your role as a doctor
in the ward. Do not hesitate to ask questions. It is self-directed learning.
While on the ward:

 After spending a day or two observing the ward rounds and your colleagues doing
post rounds jobs, please start seeing some patients individually under supervision.
Always wear your ID badges, introduce yourself and follow infection control
procedures at all times

Page 37 of 40
  Present your patients to your consultant or registrar and try to do the post round
jobs yourself. You are likely to need a lot of help with this and it is ok. We are happy
to support you
 Do as many EDN’s (discharge letters) and PAS requests as possible – this will help
you learn the various clinical apps we use in our hospital
 Prescribe medications, following trust Trust antimicrobial guidelines, you can use
different apps on your phone for this – BNF, Micro guide
 Do common ward procedures like ABG, VBG, peripheral cannula, urinary
catheterization, NG tube insertion
 Learn to use the bleep system
 Discuss patients with other teams – specialty on-call SpRs, clinical nurse specialists,
consultants
 Attend MDT meetings

While on-call:

• There are 2 types of shift, Take shift (Clerking) and ward cover. You should aim to
spend some time in both these shifts.
• Shadow a clerking SHO/SpR (depending on your level of training) in the first instance.
Once you have some idea (ideally within half a day), try to clerk and present a
patient yourself (under SHO/SpR supervision).
• On a weekday, shadow a ward cover doctor after 5pm. Participate in the
NEWS/CRASH calls as an observer and help when you are confident to do so.
• Attend at least one handover meeting.
• You can choose to shadow a night on-call, at least in part (say, 2100-2300)

Doctor’s Tool Box:

Dr’s Toolbox is a one-stop tool particularly aimed at Junior Doctors which allows access to
information to allow them to effectively carry out their daily tasks. e.g

 Information found on the web page include:

 Bleeps/Telephone Numbers
 Firm Survival Guides
 Advice on pathology/microbiology ordering
 On-call guides
 And Many more…
Doctors tool box can be downloaded via the below link in your android/apple device or you can login
via trust website. You need to create an account with your work email address. All relevant info will
be found in the below link.

http://www.dr-toolbox.com/DVH/HomePage

Page 38 of 40
 Academic:
1. Get an Open Athens account & Engage account– library can help you with this
2. Library membership
3. Try to sort out your ePortfolio – Note: varies with your own Royal Colleges
4. Meet your clinical supervisor

Social:
1. Organize GP registration, bank account, accommodation, travel cards etc in the first
two weeks. It is easier to peel off from wards and spend time for these chores whilst
you are a supernumerary person.

Training Support for IMG’s

Educational and clinical supervisor

IMGs/Trust doctors are given similar opportunities to our UK trainees. You will also be
allocated an educational supervisor. After you arrive, you will meet your Educational supervisor
to discuss your previous training, your training needs going forward, and the e-portfolio.

Your Educational Supervisor (ES) will be a consultant who has undergone formal ES training.
They are overall responsible for your supervision and to support you with your training/career
goals/or even personal issues. It is recommended you meet them at least 2- 3 times a year.
These meetings should be organised by yourself.
Your Educational Supervisor (ES) will be a consultant who is supervising you in your current
placement. They are responsible for supporting you in that placement. It is recommended you
meet with them at least at the beginning and end of the placement.

Teaching
Speak with your specialty’s College Tutor so that you can be added to the mailing lists for local
junior doctors teaching. Plan to manage your workload during teaching days so that you can
attend teaching. Make sure to complete urgent jobs and ask if there is a member of the team
that you can handover to so that you can attend the teaching session. Medicine and
Emergency Medical organise separate teaching for IMG/Trust Doctors.

You will be required to give at least 6 weeks’ notice to your consultants and request study
leave to attend such training, so that clinics can be reduced/cancelled. It will not be possible to
attend if scheduled for on call or out of hours shifts unless a formal swap has been agreed with
the rota coordinator in advance. Applications for study leave are made by completing the study
leave form on ADAGIO.

For medical specialties, we recommend you attend the Grand Round meeting Thursday
lunchtime (1pm-2pm) in Philip Farrant Education Centre, Level 1, Darent Valley Hospital. There
is teaching by different specialities, often case-based presentations, and usually a free lunch is
provided by drug reps.

Page 39 of 40
Each speciality also has monthly clinical governance and Mortality & Morbidity meetings. These
are useful learning opportunities, and you should try to attend wherever possible. Also, where
feasible each speciality has its own speciality teaching and you will be informed of this on
induction.

Top tip: Make sure to sign in so the teaching hours can be logged and getting into the habit of
completing a short reflection in your e-Portfolio after any education session will help greatly
when it is time for your appraisal.

Mandatory courses
Advanced Life Support (ALS)
During trust induction you will be taught basic/intermediate life support but it is important that
you gain certification in advanced life support (ALS) as soon as possible, as you will be part of
the cardiac arrest team once you are put on the on call rota. You can find dates for courses and
apply for courses on this website: https://www.resus.org.uk/information-on-courses/

You will need to apply for study leave and your study leave budget can be used for funding.

Welcome to the UK
This is a free course provided by the GMC which introduces how to work in the NHS. You
should aim to attend this course within the first 3 months of starting. Contact Medical Staffing
soon after arriving to book onto a course if you have not already been given a date.

Audit Quality Improvement

Audits aim to improve patient care through reviewing current care against set standards and
then implementing change. Quality improvement projects go through more cycles of
implementing change and then evaluating effect (plan do study act cycles)
We encourage you to undertake audits/quality improvement. Most specialties have an audit
lead consultant who can find you a project.

The Audit department can also be helpful in directing you, see intranet page accessible from
trust computers: Training & Guidance :: ADAGIO (dgt.nhs.uk) for help and ideas. Once you have
an idea, please complete the Audit Registration form and send to the Audit department before
proceeding. You will be expected to present your audit findings (opportunities at educational
half days/ medical meetings) and write a report with actions at the end of the project.

Page 40 of 40