The FiT community and wider BAOMS community fully supports parents in specialist OMFS training.
Many trainees will have children during their higher training, unfortunately the path is not always clear. We recommend discussing/ seeking unofficial confidential advice and experiences from other trainees. This will help you better understand how to rationalize oncall commitments at the appropriate time and plan for returning to work, so you and your family are healthy, happy and you continue to progress as smoothly as possible through training. Bear in mind circumstances will be unique to yourself and your partner but the community may offer insight and clarity on the best way to approach things. We recommend getting in touch through the FiT forums, alongside seeking early formal advice from BMA.
A useful start is visiting the government website with links to the appropriate forms:
Men will generally be entitled to 2 weeks statutory paternity leave and women 52 weeks Statutory Maternity Leave.
Be aware that alongside the government forms each trust will have their own policy with additional forms to fill in. This is best done early, and bear in mind that you are obliged to inform your employer about the pregnancy at least 15 weeks before the beginning of the week the baby is due.
Due to the nature of rotations and leaving one trust to go to another this can lead to additional confusion. We advise that you specifically seek BMA advice with regards to this to ensure accuracy. To qualify for both statutory paternity/ maternity leave and the associated pay you must have at least 26 weeks of continuous employment with you current employer (read trust- not HEE/deanery) at the 15th week before the expected week of confinement. In these circumstances your current employer should be responsible for payment of the statutory paternity pay, but it will be the responsibility of your next employer to authorise the leave taken.