ARRS FAQs

Experienced, registered health and care practitioners deliver advanced practice. They demonstrate a high degree of autonomy and complex decision making.

Master’s level award or equivalent underpins this area of practice. The training encompasses the four pillars:

and demonstration of core capabilities for any specific pillars.

The Centre for Advancing Practice and its regional faculties oversee advanced practice training and education in England. All of which are part of the NHS England Workforce, Training and Education directorate (NHSE WT&E).

The training route recognised by NHSE WT&E is to complete a 3-year (part-time) MSc Advanced Practice programme offered by a university in England in conjunction with work-based learning. Many universities in England offer MSc advanced practice programmes which have engaged in the Centre’s the accreditation process. For a full list of currently accredited programmes visit the Centre for Advancing Practice programme accreditation webpage.  

From April 2023, PCNs can claim reimbursement for the time any AHP FCP, spend training to become an advanced practitioner. Reimbursement is through the ARRS scheme.

AHP – Allied Health Professional

FCP – First Contact Practitioner

Employers supported funding applications. Employers must:

• ensure progression to an identified advanced practitioner role on completion of training
• meet the minimum requirements for supervision of advanced practitioner trainees
• engage with the guidance noted in the advanced practice Governance Maturity Matrix from  the Centre for Advancing Practice.

Organisations should discuss with their respective training hub, advanced practice leads and Regional Faculties for Advancing Practice their plans for implementing progression from FCP roles to trainee advanced practitioner roles; thereby ensuring they understand the funding options available, required governance, supervision and time frames for regional funding applications. Organisations should have an equitable recruitment process for interested FCPs to be gain the opportunity to progress into a trainee advanced practitioner role. Prospective trainee advanced practitioners will also need to meet the entry criteria of the university they are planning to apply to.

Funding for advanced practice training is available through NHSE WT&E Regional Faculties for Advancing Practice.  Organisations / practices who wish to access the funding should in the first instance liaise with their advanced practice lead or education and training lead within their primary care training hub. Who in turn will submit training demand to their respective Regional Faculty for Advancing Practice. Each regional faculty have their own funding processes and application criteria, for specific regional information please refer to a regional faculty’s advancing practice website.

There is no nationally set limit on the amount of time someone can be out of practice. However, some programmes include minimum requirements for the proportion of ‘off-the-job’ training. For example, apprenticeships which is 20% off-the-job training calculated according to an employee’s contracted employment hours across their whole training programme. This is usually equivalent to around one day per working week.

Under the current ARRs reimbursement scheme, time spent on training is for on FCPs from an allied health professional background training to become advanced practitioners. The ARRs reimbursement scheme does not currently include general practice nurses. As a result, nursing staff training to become advanced practitioners will not receive funding.

Yes, if they have either graduated from a Centre for Advancing Practice accredited MSc advanced practice programme or completed the Centre’s ePortfolio (supported) Route. For a full list of accredited programmes or more information on the ePortfolio (supported) Route visit the Centre for Advancing Practice programme accreditation webpage.

Existing nurses working in advanced practitioner roles can apply for recognition of the quality assurance of their advanced practice education and training equivalence via the Centre’s ePortfolio (supported) Route. Further information regarding the eligibility criteria and application process for the ePortfolio (supported) Route can is available on the Centre for Advancing Practice website.

No, as the ‘Advanced’ digital badge requirement only applies to roles that are reimbursed via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). There is no mandated requirement otherwise in place for nurses either already working or seeking to work in advanced practitioner roles in primary care to hold the Centre’s ‘Advanced’ digital badge, if not being reimbursed through ARRS.

Universities accept applications directly via their website. Applications follow confirmation of employer support and Regional Faculty confirms funding.

A MSc advanced practice programme is usually a 3-year part-time Master’s programme. Where a practitioner has relevant prior learning accepted by universities, the 3-years may reduce. An example of recognised learning is V300 prescribing or health assessment.

Following successful completion of a Centre accredited MSc advanced practice programme an ‘Advanced’ digital badge can claimed.

The ePortfolio (supported) Route usually takes 12-months to complete. On successful completion applicants are able to claim their ‘Advanced’ digital badge.

No. Under the current reimbursement scheme you can only claim for nurses in advanced practitioner roles once:

• they have graduated from a Centre for Advancing Practice accredited MSc advanced practice programme

or

• if they have received recognition of their advanced practice education and training equivalence through the Centre’s ePortfolio (supported) Route.

Both instances lead to eligibility for the Centre’s ‘Advanced’ digital badge. Which acknowledges the quality assurance of educational and experiential preparation as an advanced practitioner.

Yes, PCNs must ensure that advanced practice roles reimbursed via ARRS meet the advanced practitioner requirements described in the Network Contract DES prior to employment (pp.107-108 of the 2024/25 Network Contract DES).

Whilst the 24-25 iteration of ARRS specifically provides reimbursement for nurses working in advanced practitioner roles who hold the Centre’s ‘Advanced’ digital badge, the badge itself has a multi-professional applicability and useful for all advanced practitioners from nursing, allied health, or pharmacy registrant backgrounds. Badges are for those individuals who have either graduated from a Centre accredited MSc advanced practice programme, or are existing, experienced advanced practitioners who have completed the Centre’s ePortfolio (supported) Route. The Centre’s ‘Advanced’ digital badge offers standardised recognition of the quality assurance of the education, training and learning experience of advanced practitioners.