Clinical Placements within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Welcome to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Here at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC), we are able to offer a range of programmes that permit medical and dental professionals to undertake clinical placements under the supervision of our award-winning staff:

• Clinical Attachment
• Medical and Dental Elective Placement

Clinical Attachments

A Clinical Attachment is a period when a medical/dental graduate or doctor/dentist is attached to a clinical unit within NHSGGC, to gain an overview of clinical processes and systems in a hospital setting.

NHSGGC offers two types of Clinical Attachment to registered, prospective, or aspiring medical and dental professionals:

• Observership
• Clinical Access

ObservershipAn Observership allows practising medical graduates to observe medical or dental practice within a clinical setting.  Observers are not permitted to provide clinical advice or make clinical decisions.  Observers must be supervised at all times by a named consultant.  An Observership can last between one week to six months.

International medical graduates seeking an Observership must have undertaken the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB 2) examination or have a confirmed upcoming examination date.

Clinical Access (medical)A medical Clinical Access agreement permits doctors to gain postgraduate experience or provide / gain experience of certain procedures within NHSGGC.  Under the agreement, the responsibility for the doctor will lie with a named consultant. A Clinical Access agreement can last between one week to six months. Doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC)

Medical professionals who are keen to explore a Clinical Attachment should refer to the NHSGGC Clinical Attachment Guidance documents.

Clinical Access (dental)A dental Clinical Access agreement permits dentists to gain postgraduate experience or provide / gain experience of certain procedures within NHSGGC.  Under the agreement, the responsibility for the doctor / dentist will lie with a named consultant. A Clinical Access agreement can last between one week to six months. Dentists must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC), or meet all of the following criteria (as set out within S.37(2) and (2A) of the Dentists Act 1984):

• recognised by a dental authority as a student of dentistry; and
• dentistry is undertaken as part of a dental training course (or examination) approved by that dental authority; and
• dentistry is undertaken under the direct personal supervision of a GDC registered dentist

Dental professionals who are keen to explore a Clinical Attachment should refer to the NHSGGC Clinical Attachment Guidance documents.

Medical and Dental Elective Placements

NHSGGC are also able to support a limited number of medical or dental elective placements to medical / dental students who are in their penultimate or final year of study. This initiative is commonly referred to as ‘visiting electives’ or ‘elective placement’ within academia.

This placement enables visiting students to pursue an area of your own interest, and to gain experience of clinical practice in the UK healthcare system with the same rights, duties and responsibilities as our own medical students.

These placements usually last between 4-12 weeks.  Due to immigration rules, medical and dental elective placements cannot last more than 6 months.

Specialties available within NHSGGC

NHSGGC can offer a Clinical Attachment or Medical and Dental Elective Placement within a range specialties. Visit the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde website to explore the services provided by the organisation.

Application process

Medical and dental professionals must refrain from contacting NHSGGC clinicians directly to seek Clinical Placement opportunities.

All medical and dental professionals who wish to apply for a Clinical Placement within NHSGGC must submit an application via the NHS Scotland Recruitment website.  As part of your application you will be asked to select the type of clinical placement your are seeking, and which specialty you wish to be considered for.  You can only apply for one type of clinical placement and can only be considered for a single specialty.

The details you supply within your application will be circulated to senior clinicians for their review.  If a clinician is able to offer you a placement within NHSGGC, they will make direct contact with you to discuss any opportunity in further detail.

If a clinical placement is agreed, the clinician will inform the Human Resources department and a series of recruitment checks will be undertaken.  A clinical placement is not confirmed until a member of the Human Resources team provides you with written confirmation of this.

If a clinician is unable to accommodate a clinical placement, your details will remain on the system for six months.  If a clinical placement has not been agreed within six months, your application will be withdrawn. You will receive an email informing you that you have been unsuccessful in securing a clinical placement.

All clinical placements within NHSGGC are unpaid.

Further information

For further information on Clinical Placements within NHSGGC, you should email the NHSGGC Workforce Supply Team at ggc.workforcesupply@ggc.scot.nhs.uk. Please note, the Workforce Supply Team are unable to escalate, prioritise or follow-up on existing applications.