A Guide to Implementing and Funding Advanced Practice in the Midlands
We recently launched a new guidance document, ‘A guide to implementing and funding Advancing Practice in the Midlands’. This goes into detail about the funding available, timelines and process. Alongside answers to frequently asked questions. This is a comprehensive guide for all, trainees, employers, advanced practice leads, and organisations.
Topics covered include:
- Advanced practice in the workforce
- Training to become and advanced practitioner
- Funding and the funding application process
- Trainee advanced practitioner support
- What to do when a trainee has a change of circumstances
- Guidance for supervisors, including a readiness checklist
- Employer and trainee readiness checklist
You can access the guidance here and it can also be found via our Midlands Guidance and Resources page.
eportfolio (supported) Route update – next cohorts
Thank you to all those who have already submitted an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the upcoming cohorts of the ePortfolio (supported) Route in 2024 and beyond.
There are currently approximately 1300 applicants enrolled on the ePortfolio (supported) Route via the Centre across its three existing cohorts. In addition, 300 pharmacists are enrolled in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) ‘Advanced Pharmacist’ e-Portfolio Route. 120 applicants have already successfully completed the Centre’s ePortfolio (supported) Route. They have also downloaded their ‘Advanced’ digital badge from the Centre. The digital badge recognises the quality assurance of their prior educational and experiential preparation as advanced practitioners.
The Centre is planning to start the next cohort of the ePortfolio later in 2024. The Centre will be in contact with practitioners who have submitted EoIs for upcoming cohorts once they have further details of the education providers it will be working with for cohort 4 and beyond. Further information about the ePortfolio (supported) Route can be accessed via the Centre for Advancing Practice website
NMC Exploration of Regulation of Advanced Practice
As we know the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) are currently exploring the possibility of regulating advanced practice for nurses and midwives.
Many of us will have participated in stakeholder engagement events with NMC representatives over the past few months. The NMC has also been engaging in inter-regulator dialogue with other statutory regulators of healthcare professionals regarding wider possibilities for regulating advanced practice.
The NMC is due to report back on potential recommendations for regulating advanced practice in nursing and midwifery to its governing Council on Wednesday 27th March. Papers for Council meetings are normally published in advance on the ‘Council meetings’ section of the NMC’s website a week before each meeting date.
Virtual Event – Strengthening Advanced Practice in Mental Health and Learning Disability and Autism
We’re pleased to announce the Midlands Faculty for Advancing Practice will be hosting a virtual event. ‘Strengthening Advanced Practice in Mental Health and Learning Disability and Autism’.
This will be held via MS Teams on Friday 8th March 2024, 9:45am – 4:15pm.
This event is aimed at Midlands organisational, and ICS advanced practice leads, education, training, development leads, and those stakeholders wishing to understand and develop their services and workforce in Advanced Practice in Mental Health and Learning Disability and Autism.
A full agenda with speakers who are yet to be confirmed, will be shared in thecoming weeks.
The aims of the event are:
- Developing employee readiness in advanced practice in Mental Health and Learning Disability and Autism
- Hearing from those who have navigated the process from vision to implementation
- Understanding the support available to you from NHS England Faculty for Advancing Practice – Midlands
- Understanding the governance and quality assurance processes in Advanced Practice
- Networking and solution finding to your unanswered questions
- Hearing the experiences of trainee, qualified advanced clinical practitioners and consultants, the processes involved, and how this benefited patient outcomes, individual CPD and the current workforce
A poster for the event is also available and you are welcome to share this with colleagues you feel may benefit from attending.
Midlands Faculty for Advancing Practice Education Forum Dates and Network Meeting
The Faculty are continuing to facilitate monthly Education Forums. All are welcome but topics are aimed at those practitioners working clinically in Primary Care or Urgent Care. Sessions are delivered by a subject matter expert clinician.
Below are brief details for sessions we have to date. We will continuously update this information on our website, you can check for updates under our news and events tab.
Flyers with links to register are sent out to organisational Advanced Practice Leads and Training Hubs. If you have not seen these flyers, get in touch with the Faculty at: england.apfac.midlands@nhs.net
We are also starting a network of for those with either a lead post or role in delivering advanced practice education.
Information and a provisional date for the first meeting on Thursday 16th May 2024 has been distributed to leads in the Midlands region. If you need more information contact us on england.apfac.midlands@nhs.net .
The aims of this network are:
- To share good practice and innovation within the education pillar
- To provide network opportunities with colleagues across the region
- To provide relevant updates from regional Midlands Faculty and the Centre for Advancing Practice regarding advanced practice education
Education Forum Sessions
| Date | Topic |
| Thursday 29th February 2024 | Frailty and Deprescribing |
| Thursday 28th March 2024 | Topic to be confirmed |
| Thursday 25th April 2024 | Managing Multi Morbidity and Holistic Access |
| Thursday 23rd May 2024 | Lipid Prescribing and Guidance |
| Thursday 27th June 2024 | Topic to be confirmed |
| Thursday 25th July 2024 | Topic to be confirmed |
| Thursday 29th August 2024 | Topic to be confirmed |
| Thursday 26th September 2024 | Topic to be confirmed |
| Thursday 31st October 2024 | Topic to be confirmed |
Trainee Data Collection Form
The Faculty launched a Trainee Data Collection Form that we require all trainees to complete. By completing the form, you enable us to build up a data set of the profile of our trainees, including key information such as registrant backgrounds, and for tracking pauses, progression, and completions for funding purposes.
If you an advanced practitioner trainee in the Midlands in either year 1, or 2, or 3, and have not done so already, please complete the Trainee data Collection Form via this link before Friday 22nd March.
If you are unsure whether you have completed the form, please get in touch with us at england.apfac.midlands@nhs.uk and we will check our records. It is important to follow this process to avoid and reduce the number of duplicate responses. Once you have completed the form, there is also an option to download a copy of your response. If you’ve any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Midlands Advanced Practice Forum Roadshow (April)
The Midlands Advanced Practice Forum is an independent multi-professional group. It promotes a platform for advanced practice networking and peer support. Alongside, shared learning across specialities in the NHS Midlands region.
The Forum has successfully collaborated with us, the NHS England Workforce, Training and Education (WT&E) Faculty for Advancing Practice (Midlands), in our two regional conferences in both 2021 and 2023. They held their last quarterly virtual educational meeting in January 2024. They now plan to hold regular roadshow in-person events, around the East and West Midlands, twice a year.
The Forum successfully hosted almost 40 delegates to the event in Derby in July 2023. The Forum described that ‘there was a great buzz in the room and a fantastic range of speakers. Speakers brought us up to date with all things Advanced Practice’. There are plans for an in-person event on Wednesday 24th April 2024 1:00pm – 5:15pm, at the Cotswold A Suite, University of Worcester. The Forum look forward to welcoming you there.
The Forum plans to launch its website with a live membership database in the coming months. They hope it will be fully live at the Worcester meeting. Your membership subscription will give you access to a wide range of skilled experienced advanced practitioners/ trainee advanced practitioners across the Midlands. Keep your eye out for more news to follow, via our Forum emails.
We look forward to welcoming you to the forum events. If you are not on our mailing list yet, please get in touch with our Chair Mary Hutchinson – mary.hutchinson4@nhs.net or co-Chair Hirminder Ubhi – Hirminder.ubhi@nhs.net
Case Study – James Blacknall
We have been asking you to submit your case studies through to the Faculty. We have had some great submissions to showcase the amazing work our advanced Practitioners are doing, across the Midlands region.
This month we’re showcasing the work of James Blacknall. He is a passionate Advanced Shoulder and Elbow Physiotherapist.
If you’re feeling inspired and want us to showcase your work as an advanced practitioner in our region, download a case study template and consent form. When you’ve completed these, submit to the Faculty via: england.apfac.midlands@nhs.net
Workforce Publication
The latest Primary Care Network and General Practice data has now been published. This information The General Practice Workforce series of Official Statistics provides a recent overview of the primary care general practice workforce and can be accessed via: Primary Care Network Workforce – NHS Digital and General Practice Workforce – NHS Digital
EoIs – Advanced Practice in Mental Health Framework for Practice
Expressions of Interest (EoIs)
An opportunity to write for the upcoming book –The Advanced Practitioner in Mental Health – A Framework for Practice
Advanced Practice in Mental Health and Specific Populations – Chapter 24 (Psychogenic & Psychosomatic Disorders – Children, Young People & Adults)
We welcome interest in contributing from all professionals. There could also be an opportunity to co-author. If you are interested in contributing, please contact Gemma Ford: gemma.ford@nottshc.nhs.uk