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All recruitment processes must meet legal requirements. Patient care and safety are the priority concern.

Minimum Standards

The minimum standards shown below are part of a short set of national rules for strategic health authorities and employer organisations. Any variation from the national rules would have to be a reasonable and proportionate response to local circumstances and not lead to conspicuously unfair results.

• As a minimum, all posts must be advertised on each deanery website.
• All posts must be advertised for a minimum of four calendar weeks.
• Advertisements, information for applicants and application forms must be clearly structured so that they are accessible to applicants with disabilities and so that applicants can easily find relevant details when carrying out a search.
• All applications should be made electronically.
• Application forms and the interview processes must map to the national person specifications.
• The nationally agreed application form should be used except where specific agreement has been given not to.
• Applicants will be able to apply for as many training programmes as they wish.
• Random recruitment and selection processes should not be used.
• All applications submitted before the deadline will be considered.
• Shortlisters and interviewers* must get a full copy of the application form, but must not have access to the equal opportunities information or personal data.
• Interviewers* will take account of applicants’ portfolios, their structured CV and the summary of their portfolio of evidence.
• Applicants should be asked to bring their portfolios to the interview.

*Please note that there is a different process for GP recruitment. Please refer to the guidance provided by the National Recruitment Office for General Practice Training

Complaints procedure

Recruitment offices and deaneries have processes for handling complaints about recruitment.  You should contact the recruitment office to which you applied if you have any concerns about your application, or you would like to know more about the complaints procedure.