Streamlined Doctors in Training Interface with TIS – A focus on Host and Lead Employer Arrangements

The Streamlined Doctors in Training Interface with Health Education England’s (HEE) Trainee Information System (TIS) supports Host and Lead Employers in managing Doctors in Training. Key functions of the interface include:

• A facility to send person and appointment data into ESR for Doctor in Training placements;
• A communication tool for updates or changes to medical training appointments;
• A tool which allows ESR person updates to be shared with the TIS system.

With the rollout of the Person Update Capability now complete in England (February 2021), the full interface offering is available to all those Trusts live on the interface. There are currently 191 Trusts operating the interface across England and Wales.

Many ‘Host’ and ‘Lead’ employer arrangements exist across the NHS for Doctors in Training. This is where a medical trainee occupies a position geographically situated within one organisation, but is actually employed by another. This information can be captured within the ‘Host’ and ‘Lead’ employer indicators included in the Position Description form within ESR Work-structures.

Person Update Capability

The Person Update capability allows changes captured within ESR for hired Doctors in Training to transfer into TIS. The types of information shared includes: names; Date of Birth; Gender; NINO; Telephone Numbers; Email Address; Ethnic Origin and Addresses.

As part of this interface flow, information will transfer on a daily basis, keeping HEE and ESR in line with one another - although it is important to highlight that this transfer is only relevant to paying or lead employers. Changes from Host Employers made to honorary records within ESR are not transferred to TIS, as the Lead Employer record is viewed as the master within ESR.

How can organisations ensure they use the interface effectively?

Once the ESR position identifiers have been setup within ESR and shared with TIS via the interface, TIS will release trainee doctor information for each of the positions to the appropriate employer through this interface process (this can be to either the ‘Host’ and/or ‘Lead’ employers). 

For this information to be released from TIS, an employer must be subscribed to the interface and the ESR positions must have the correct indicators assigned in the ‘Host/Lead Employer Status’ field.

Of note; host employers should hire trainees as ‘Honorary’, while lead employers should choose ‘Employee’ upon hire.

Why is information management so important?

For ‘Lead’ employers using the interface, it is essential that Trusts accurately maintain both their person and post data, because this information flows back into TIS (now that the person update capability is in play). Trusts may use Employee Self Service to reduce the burden of administrating person level changes for Doctors in Training and run the IAT process from a previous employer.

For host employers, it is essential that these organisations maintain their ESR position data, as any issues with the quality of this data could inhibit the applicant creation process within their ESR database.

For further information about this interface please visit the ‘Explore Resources’ section of the My ESR Hub and then navigate to ‘ESR Functionality Guidance’ > ‘Doctors in Training’.

If your organisation would like to implement this interface offering, please contact the ESR Support Desk.