Maternity and Paternity Leave

Maternity Leave and Pay for GP Trainees

Maternity Leave Entitlement

GP trainees may be entitled to up to 52 weeks of maternity leave, which includes:

 • 8 weeks full pay

 • 18 weeks half pay

 • 13 weeks unpaid leave

Eligibility for Maternity Pay

To qualify for NHS maternity pay, you must have 12 months of continuous NHS service by the 11th week before your expected week of childbirth.

Notifying Your Employer

 • You should inform your employer of your pregnancy at least 12 weeks before your due date.

 • Many trainees choose to inform their employer after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

 • A formal notification should include your MATB1 form, which is usually issued around week 20 of pregnancy.

Accrued Annual Leave

Annual leave continues to accrue during both paid and unpaid maternity leave. You may choose to use accrued leave before or after your maternity leave—discuss this with your employer to plan accordingly.

Keeping in Touch (KIT) Days

 • You can work up to 10 days during maternity leave without affecting your maternity pay.

 • These days can be used for training, meetings, or supervised clinical sessions to ease your return to work.

Supported Return to Training (SuppoRTT)

Returning to work after maternity leave? The SuppoRTT programme provides:

 • Supervised clinical sessions

 • Mentorship and coaching

 • Refresher training

Contact your Training Programme Director (TPD) or Educational Supervisor to access these resources.

Paternity Leave

 • Partner's of GP trainees are entitled to 2 weeks of unpaid paternity leave. You will be entitled to statutory paternity pay from the government.

 • You need to complete the "ordinary paternity leave" form from RFH and 'SC3' form, to claim your statutory paternity pay from DWP.

 • You must also send them a copy of your partner's MATB1 form

Shared Parental Leave (SPL)

 • If eligible, parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay.

 • Discuss with your employer if you wish to split parental leave with your partner.

Breastfeeding at Work

 • Your employer should provide a private, hygienic space (not a toilet) for expressing milk.

 • Consider discussing flexible scheduling with your employer to accommodate expressing or breastfeeding.

NB you may need to discuss this with OH

Who to Contact?

For maternity and paternity leave enquiries, contact:

📧 rf-tr.managementadvice@nhs.net