Conferences and Courses
Members of staff can apply to Eyecare for funding to attend Conferences and Courses not funded by the NHS. Please apply within plenty of time for your event. The process and all the forms you require are detailed below.
Note: The forms are only accessible to staff logged on through the NHS Lothian computer network.
Annual Leave Approval
As a general rule-of-thumb, time off to attend external events being held during normal working hours is not granted by the NHS, it is usually up to the member of staff to use their Annual Leave. Doctors are an exception; they may apply for study leave. You MUST have leave approved by your manager before you make any arrangements.
Eyecare Application Form
At the same time as making your leave application you should complete the following form as an electronic document:
Eycare Grant Application Form
Your form can be saved to your PC and should then be attached to an email and sent to Staff Nurse Dorota Manko, or Dr Andrew Tatham for approval. They will be able to advise you on your application. In general all applications that will lead to benefit for patients will be approved. You must state the reason why the NHS is not funding your attendance at the conference / course. If one of the Eyecare signatories approve the funding in principle, they will email the form back to you, with an electronic approval signature.
Purchase to Pay Department
The Purchase to Pay Department will organise your Conference/Course, travel and accommodation requirements.
You will need to print and complete one (or both) of the following forms:
Application for Conference/Course costs (CCT01)
Application for Travel & Accommodation costs (TA01)
Progressing your Application
Your completed forms should then be posted to:
Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation,
2nd Floor, Waverleygate,
2-4 Waterloo Place,
Edinburgh
EH1 3EG
Paying Conference Expenses Yourself
If you want to pay for conference expenses your self, and get costs reimbursed, the process is:
BEFORE THE CONFERENCE Email Dr Andrew Tatham or Dorota Manko (nursing staff) with brief details of the name, location and date of the conference. State approximate cost (keep costs as low as reasonably possible – these are logged by NHS Lothian). If approved, you will receive an approval email in reply
Keep all receipts
Fill in an Expenses Claim Form and pass, with receipts, to Andrew Tatham or Dorota Manko for processing
A note on Reimbursements
Reimbursements should only be applied for when an item of cost has not been covered in advance by Purchase to Pay arrangements. Expenses claims should be made through e-expenses. The payment is made into your salary from the department budget, and Eyecare then reimburse the department. Eyecare will only reimburse expenses approved in advance of a conference / course. No retrospective payments will be made.