The Primary Care Training Hub work with a range of training providers and have compiled the below to signpost you to available training programmes, courses and learning opportunities. Please continue to check this page as new resources and tools will be added and updated regularly.
European Social Fund
The University of Sunderland is part of the ESF Workforce Skills consortium, working with employers to provide work-based learning solutions to upskill the workforce within the North East.
The project includes a suite of funded courses which have been designed by the University and cover a broad range of subjects, including business, education , engineering, health, media, social work, investigation, leadership, psychology. Please see some of the funded course opportunitites below:
Care of the Older Person
Advanced Peadtatric Clinical Management Skills
Advanced Chronic Disease Management
PG Diploma in Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
Contraceptive Health
Diabetes
CHD and Heart Failure
If you would like more information about this course or how to enrol, please email esf@sunderland.ac.uk.
Discover a Nursing Career (CNO002)
Nurses looking to start a role in general practice can take a first step with this three-month module, delivered by Northumbria University, which aims to equip them for a potential application and interview. The training is designed to improve understanding and awareness of general practice and encourage pre-registration nurses to see the value and potential of a career in this area.
The module is available to nurses and nursing associates at all levels from pre-registration through to registered nurses working in different healthcare settings who want to start a career in general practice. Topics include learning how the role fits within the multi-disciplinary team, developing one-to-one communications skills and understanding how to operate in a primary care environment.
To view the module, please click here.
To view the Discover a Nursing Career (CNO002) Level 7 module, please click here.
Delivered by Teesside University, this module will appeal to nurses and nursing associates at all levels working in different healthcare settings, who want to start a career in general practice, including those working across adult, mental health, learning disability and children’s nursing.
This course increases your employability within primary care. It is available to nurses and nursing associates, including pre-registration, through to registered nurses working in different healthcare settings who want to start a career in general practice. This includes those working in adult, mental health, learning disability and children’s nursing.
To view the course brochure, please click here.
To view the module, please click here.
Delivered by Univeristy of Cumbria, this Level 6 module aims to provide prospective candidates from nursing associate backgrounds an overview and insight into working within a general practice/primary care setting, developing the foundation of skills and enhancing knowledge impacting the delivery of local care. Supported by highly experienced academics from within the field of general practice nursing, this module will provide the opportunity to enhance your knowledge and understanding and how this differs from, but is essential to, secondary and tertiary care settings and provision.
Candidates from Nursing or Nursing Associate pathways who are currently working toward registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and/or
Candidates who are currently registered as Nurses or Nursing Associates with the Nursing and Midwifery Council are eligible to apply.
To view the module, please click here.
To view the Discovering a Nursing Career in General Practice (CNO002) Level 7 module, please click here.
Implementing the Foundation Pharmacist Training Year 2025/26
In January 2021, the GPhC published the revised Standards for the Initial Education and Training of Pharmacists. The first students to graduate against these new learning outcomes will start their foundation training year, previously known as the pre-reg year, in July 2025.
Update on England Foundation Trainee Pharmacist Programme 2025/26 Course Provision
All Foundation Trainee Pharmacists (FTP) entering the programme in 2025 will have access to a core training offer provided by NHS England. After extensive stakeholder engagement across all sectors of practice via a series of workshops, it was determined that the NHS England offer should focus on supporting delivery of the learning outcomes in practice.
The full specification is still subject to further development, but we can announce that this provision will cover the following:
Induction Day to orientate trainees to the programme
Establishment of communities of practice for trainees, to provide additional support to develop their prescribing practice (currently under exploration)
Online learning materials to support delivery of the Learning Outcomes
First Aid training
As this national offer applies to trainees across all sectors of practice, it should be noted that it does not include training related to site-specific service provision. Therefore, it is expected that any training provision related to the specific needs of individual organisations or employers will continue to be provided by them, to ensure that trainee pharmacists offer safe and effective patient care.
Further updates and details of the 2025/26 offer, which will be called the NHS England FTP Training Provision, will be provided in due course.
Please contact: england.traineepharmacist@nhs.net with any further queries.
Further information can be found here.
Useful Resources for Implementing the Foundation Pharmacist Training Year 2025/26
This main presentation will give you the facts you need to prepare now
Watch a video tutorial on submitting 2025/26 foundation pharmacist programmes for the National Recruitment Scheme
Find out more in Prescribing supervision and assessment in the Foundation Trainee Pharmacist Programme from 2025/26
Find out more in Foundation training site requirements
Find out more in Designated Supervisor Requirements 2025/26
General Practice Assistant (GPA) Accreditation Opportunities
NHS England has expanded the support available to General Practice Assistants (GPAs) wanting to gain formal accreditation of their skills and experience. GPAs are able to gain certification, and level 4 credits, by having a portfolio of evidence assessed and validated by an approved educational provider. Additional capacity has been procured with providers in each region and is free to access for employee/employers.
GPAs who wish to gain accreditation can register their interest with their regional provider.
Further information can be found here.
Research Career Development Opportunities in Primary Care
Applications are open for the NIHR In-Practice Fellowship (IPF), to develop research skills and experience. The NIHR In-Practice Fellowship (IPF) initially offered academic training to fully qualified general practitioners, general dental practitioners, and community dentists, who are in NHS practice in England. The eligibility for this scheme has been broadened in 2024 to cover all other health and care professionals working in a primary care setting, including (but not restricted to) nurses, midwives, pharmacists and health visitors. This enhanced offer will enable a larger cohort of health and care professionals to access research training and development, to advance their academic research careers.
Funding is available from the NIHR to support the academic component of two-year 50% clinical, 50% academic posts with a well-defined academic content. IPFs can also be taken up part-time over 30 or 40 months.
To apply, please click here. The application deadline is 3rd April 2024.
Funding for the Foundation Training 2025/26
As part of the implementation of the reforms to the Initial Education and Training of Pharmacists, NHS England is harmonising the funding available to all foundation training sites hosting a foundation trainee pharmacist (previously pre-reg pharmacist).
Each site employing a foundation trainee pharmacist in the 2025/26 training year will receive £26,500 per foundation trainee pharmacist.
The funding will be consistent across all sectors of practice and all regions of England and provide a contribution to all costs of hosting a trainee, including supervision, administration and salary.
If you have any further queries, please contact: england.traineepharmacist@nhs.net
Freedom to Speak Up Guidance and Support Scheme
A new pack of Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) resources have been produced to support further understanding about healthy speaking up cultures and value the employee voice as a vital driver of learning and improvement. The FTSU guidance and the FTSU reflection and planning tool can be used alongside refreshed national FTSU policy.
All primary care organisations providing NHS services are asked to adopt the updated national FTSU policy by the end of January 2024. NHS England will work with Integrated Care Systems and primary care organisations to provide further support to you next year when applying the new FTSU guidance and establishing or refining your Guardian arrangements. The enhanced Speaking Up support scheme also provides a range of support for past and present NHS workers who have experienced challenges in moving forward with their professional or personal lives following a formal speak up process.
To submit an application, please click here and complete all required documentation and send to england.speakingupscheme@nhs.net
For any further queries, please email england.speakingupscheme@nhs.net
ICB Support Scheme
NHS England and the National Guardian’s Office have published guidance for ICBs to ensure speaking up routes are available for their own ICB staff and their primary care teams across the ICS.
ICBs should consider how they will gain assurance that all NHS organisations across the ICS have accessible speaking up arrangements. This should be in line with the recently published Freedom to Speak Up guidance and policy and demonstrate a consideration of the different barriers that workers face when speaking up, as well as any actions that can be taken to reduce those barriers. The ICS appointment of an executive and non-executive lead for Freedom to Speak Up within an ICB will provide leadership for this work.
Contact england.speakup1@nhs.net or enquiries@nationalguardianoffice.org.uk for further enquiries.
Case Studies
NHS England have published a series of case stories as examples of how NHS organisations have developed healthy speaking up cultures using the principles in the revised national FTSU policy and accompanying guidance, and reflection and planning tool.
Pleae click here to view the case studies.