About the specialty
Haematology is an intensive, exciting, rewarding and demanding specialty that encompasses both clinical and laboratory practice. As a result, this dual role provides a unique opportunity to combine clinical skills with appropriate and often cutting edge science to make a diagnosis, choose the optimal treatment plan and monitor progress. Clinical care is delivered in both in-patient and out-patient environments and the haematologist frequently contributes to diagnosis and management in other specialties as well as the intensive care setting. This holistic approach to clinical care is a highlight of the specialty.
Within haematology there is the opportunity to further develop special interests in a wide variety of clinical and laboratory areas (e.g. haemogloginopathies, haemostasis and thrombosis, paediatric haematology, transfusion medicine, haemato-oncology, bone marrow transplantation). The specialty may suit a wide variety of individuals including those who may wish to combine a clinical and academic career.
The duration of specialist training is normally five years. Satisfactory completion of training requires that the trainee acquire the competencies set out in the haematology curriculum. The completion of training also requires that the trainee obtains FRCPath. As specialists in haematology are involved in direct patient care and in management of haematology pathology laboratories, specialist training covers both these components, including training in transfusion medicine.
One year of specialist training may be approved for research, which is relevant to the specialty and in an area approved by the Specialty Advisory Committee (SAC).
Entry into Haematology training is possible following successful completion of both a foundation programme and a core training programme. There are three core training programmes for Haematology training:
- Internal Medicine (IM) stage 1
- Acute Care Common Stem - Acute Medicine (ACCS-IM)
- Core Paediatrics Training - visit the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health website for details
Latest news and developments
The Haematology national trainee committee regularly publishes an update for UK trainees. The latest issues are below. Any views expressed within these newsletters are those of the national training committee.
Curriculum
The curriculum for each specialty defines the process of training and the capabilities needed for the award of a certificate of completion of training (CCT). The curriculum includes the assessment system for measuring trainees’ progress comprising workplace based assessment and knowledge based assessment.The 2021 curriculum is given below and supporting documents are available in the ARCP decision aid and forms and guidance sections.
Haematology 2021 Training Curriculum
The 2010 curriculum is available below. Previous versions of the curriculum are no longer available online but copies can be requested from curriculum@jrcptb.org.uk.
ARCP Decision Aids
The ARCP decision aid for each specialty defines the targets that have to be achieved for a satisfactory ARCP outcome at the end of each training year. The ARCP decison aid for the 2021 curriculum can be downloaded via the link below
For trainees on the previous curriculum please use the version for the 2010 curriculum.
Forms and guidance
Guidance for the 2021 Haematology curriculum
Haematology 2021 Training Curriculum Rough Guide to Implementation
Haematology Mapping of 2021 CiPs to previous curriculum competencies
Haematology 2021 Training Curriculum Launch Event Recording
Haematology 2021 Training Curriculum Launch Event Slides
Completing an application for credit during OOPR to count towards training
Please complete the out of programme (research) application form (OOPR) available here. The following guidance indicates the type of information you should provide in the box headed 'clinical involvment by year'.
1. Details of hospital services and activity where training will take place: clinical, laboratory, liaison and on-call work
eg, Department of haematology at St Elsewhere: this is a tertiary referral level 1, 2 3 etc haematology department in a teaching/DGH hospital with x in-patient beds/day units/outpatient clinics etc treating haematology patients with disorders of x, y z.
Give a description of other Hospital/GP work that would be experience for liaison work – eg A+E, maternity, intensive care , cardiothoracic, trauma centre etc.
Give a description of the Laboratory services: eg, general lab, films, marrows, haemoglobinopathy coagulation, transfusion
2. Details of haematology work to be covered – clinics frequency and types of cases expected, Laboratory and liaison work – details
3. Details of educational supervision of clinical work
4. Curriculum competencies expected to be gained – refer to sections of haematology curriculum.
Transfusion training checklist
The following checklist for Haematology trainees is aimed at integrating transfusion training provided by the UK Blood Services with clinical and laboratory training within hospitals.
Blood Transfusion Training Guidance
Guidance for paediatric haematology
The purpose of this guidance is to expand and provide additional detail to supplement the syllabus for trainees in paediatric haematology. This guidance should be use by trainers and supervisors with documentation on the ePortfolio for SLE/Reflection and notes to document mapping and setting learning objectives.