Trust attitudes towards LTFT - bullying and undermining
I am in my first training year as LTFT, at 80%. I'm a higher specialty trainee in a specialty which is actually very pro-LTFT.
Going down to 80% has been amazing, and certainly my work-life balance is finally starting to balance!
However, my experience with the Trust, consultants, rota co-ordinators has been horrible:
- My being LTFT is being blamed every time the ward is short (even on days when I'm in!), and gets brought up every single time the ward needs a locum
- My being LTFT has been brought up on my consultant reports for ARCP, and listed as a reason for being "below expectations" because they are claiming they don't see me enough. I've been bullied and undermined by a consultant because they aren't happy with having a LTFT trainee. The general attitude towards me has been incredibly negative because my being 80% adds pressure to their team. They say things like "you aren't part of this team", "I never know when you're going to turn up to work", "you're a guest on this ward". I've raised this with the DME, but the DME has defended this attitude because having a LTFT puts pressure on a department, and they feel deaneries don't consider this when they let us go LTFT.
(My TPD has been excellent and has managed to sort out the reports ahead of my ARCP, so I'm not too worried about that part of it).
Is this other people's experience with LTFT? I really thought as a profession we had moved towards acceptance of LTFT given that so many people do it.