Advanced Practice Training

Advanced Practice Training in Primary Care

*The application process for organisations within North East & Yorkshire to apply for NHSE support to train advanced practitioners in 2026/27 is now open until 30th April 2026*

The Advanced Practice Training Programme aims to support primary care employers in the NE&Y region to grow the advanced practice workforce of the future. It is aimed at practices, PCNs or Federations that have identified the need for an Advanced Practice role within their organisation and wish to either recruit to post or upskill an eligible existing member of staff.

Advanced Practice Commissioning Round 26/27 – NOW OPEN UNTIL 30th APRIL 2026

The NHSE Advanced Practice Commissioning round 26/27 is open now for courses starting in Sep 26 or Jan 27.

Application process:

Read the NE&Y Faculty for Advancing Practice handbook
Read the Clinical Salary Support Guidance
Nominate a single lead contact for the Advanced Practice process
AP Lead contact to submit a funding application via the Advanced Practice Portal for 26/27
AP Lead contact to submit a trainee Advanced Practice job description to: neyadvancedpractice@nhs.net Sample version available in ‘Helpful Resources’ section below.
Application reviewed by NE&Y Faculty panel
Outcome of application sent to AP Lead within 6-8 weeks of receipt
Successful trainees will then sent link to apply for Advanced Practice course

Application Support

Primary Care employers who are interested in ACP training for a member of staff or recruiting to an ACP post are offered the opportunity to discuss a potential application with the SY Primary Care Workforce & Training Hub.

Appointments last approximately 30 minutes and are done over Teams.

Book a slot to discuss an application

Advanced Practice Training Programme Summary

Full course fees paid by NHSE for MSc Advanced Practice 3-year apprenticeship
Alternative Fees Funded route for candidates not eligible for apprenticeship or requiring less than 2 years study.
Trainees need 1 day per week protected study time plus 1 day per week clinical supervision time
NHSE Training Grant provided to employers – £11,591 per year, per trainee for new starters

Who can train to be an Advanced Practitioner in primary care?

Advanced Practice is multi-professional and open to range of experienced, registered healthcare professionals from a variety of roles.

Examples include:

Nurses
Paramedics
Physiotherapists
Occupational Therapists
Dietitians
Podiatrists
Clinical Pharmacists* (must not be currently undertaking an NHSE-funded programme, e.g. CPPE)

What Advanced Practice training routes are available?

Advanced Practice training will differ according to the level of previous experience and/or qualifications that the individual brings to the role of a trainee Advanced Practitioner. As a result of this, three different routes are available:

(1) MSc Advanced Practice Apprenticeship (Preferred Route)

Course length: 3 years

Course funded by: NHSE (as levy funding for L7 apprenticeships has now ended)

Good to know: trainees must have certificate evidence of GCSE passes in Maths & English at Grade C or above & must work at least 30 hours per week in accordance with apprenticeship rules. Training grant paid to the employing organisation for the duration of study.

(2) MSc Advanced Practice Traditional (Fees Funded Route)

Course length: 3 years

Course funded by: NHSE

Good to know: available by exception for trainees who are not eligible for apprenticeship route. Training grant paid to the employing organisation for the duration of study.

(3) MSc Advanced Practice Top-Up (Modular Route)

Course length: varies from 1-2 years

Course funded by: NHSE

Good to know: available for trainees who have already completed significant Level 7 study & require only ‘top up’ modules to complete an ACP qualification. Training grant paid to the employing organisation for the duration of study.

How much is the clinical salary support/training grant?

The Advanced Practice clinical salary support/ Training Grant for 2026-27 is £11,591 per year, per trainee up to a maximum of 3 years. This is £965.92 per month and is paid quarterly, in arrears.

The training grant can only be paid whilst the trainee is actively on programme and so any changes of circumstance that require the trainee to pause their studies must be reported immediately to: england.neyadvancedpractice@nhs.net

What does my organisation need to provide?

The employer is required to provide:

An appropriately banded/graded Advanced Practice post on successful completion of the education programme and clinical competencies
A good quality, supportive learning environment involving the whole practice team
Named clinical supervisor/s with the skills & capacity to support the trainee Advanced Practitioner (training & support available if required)
1 day per week for the trainee Advanced Practitioner to attend university/protected study time
1 day per week (minimum) for the trainee Advanced Practitioner to work alongside their clinical supervisor

When does the Advanced Practice Commissioning Round close?

The Advanced Practice Commissioning round for 2026-2027 is open until 30th April 2026. The NE&Y Faculty has a maximum number of applications that it can support. Once at capacity the Faculty will continue to accept applications and a waiting list system will be put in place.

What Advanced Practice courses are available in South Yorkshire?

MSc Advanced Clinical Practice – Sheffield Hallam University (Sep 26/Jan 27 starts)

MMedSci Advanced Clinical Practice (General Practice) – The University of Sheffield (Sep 26 start only)

Both of these courses are available as an apprenticeship course (course fees paid by NHSE.)

How do I report a change of circumstance in Advanced Practice training?

The NE & Yorkshire Faculty of Advancing Practice is required to keep up to date records of trainee Advanced Practitioners for the purposes of training grant administration. The NHSE training grant can only be paid to employers with trainees who are currently on programme and making progress with no issues.

Trainee ACPs are strongly advised to discuss any changes in circumstance that will affect their training (e.g. pause in study due to illness, maternity leave, change of employer etc) with the NE&Y Faculty of Advanced Practice before any action is taken. Please note that changes of employer will require a re-application for funding from the new employer, as funding is attached to the organisation and not to the individual trainee.

Change forms can be downloaded from the links below, please complete the appropriate form and return to england.neyadvancedpractice@nhs.net at your earliest convenience.

REPORT A BREAK IN STUDY REPORT A RETURN TO STUDY REPORT A CHANGE OF EMPLOYER

Helpful Resources

ACP Application Process Map Multi-Professional Advanced Clinical Practice Framework Workplace Supervision for Advanced Clinical Practice Clinical Salary Support guidance North East and Yorkshire Governance and Best Practice Guidance Download the SY Adapted Governance Maturity Matrix for Primary Care Download an Example Advanced Practice Business Case Trainee ACP Job Description/Person Specification Guidance notes for annual ACP Appraisal ACP Audit Tool ACP Appraisal Tool Workplace Supervision for Advanced Practice

Contacts

NE & Yorkshire Regional Faculty for Advancing Practice – NEY Faculty for ACP