The Primary Care School supports several opportunities for nurses and nursing associates (NAs) working in General Practice.
New Funding Opportunity for Nursing Placements
The fund aims to help organisations establish sustainable, high-quality nursing placements and support the wider ambition of delivering more care closer to home through integrated neighbourhood and community services.
Key Information at a Glance
| Funding Available | £2,860 per eligible placement unit Providers may apply for more than one eligible unit This funding is in addition to the usual nursing placement tariff you will received. |
| What is a placement unit | One learner start involving at least 37.5 hours of practice learning on an approved pre-registration nursing programme. |
| Who can apply? | GP practices, PCNs, Federations and other eligible community-based providers |
| Eligibility | ✔ Sites that hosted none or fewer than five learner starts during 2024/25 ✔Can demonstrate that the proposed placement capacity is genuinely new and additional ✔ Is not receiving funding for the same activity through another funding route ✔ You must be part of an approved PCN learning environment |
| Purpose | To create new and additional nursing placement capacity |
| Application Deadline | 21 October 2026, 11:59pm |
What Can the Funding Be Used For?
Funding is available for one-off setup and establishment costs associated with creating new placement capacity, including:
Educator Preparation
- Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor preparation
- Protected set-up time for educators
- Staff preparation and learner support arrangements
Resources & Infrastructure
- Learning resources and induction materials
- Placement documentation and systems
- Accessibility adjustments
- Digital resources directly supporting learner placements
⚠️ Funding cannot be used for ongoing staffing, routine supervision, normal operating costs or existing/ previous placement activity.
Placement Supervision Requirements
Each placement site should have either:
- Two Practice Assessors (Registered Nurses)
OR
- One Practice Assessor (Registered Nurse)
- One Practice Supervisor (Registered Healthcare Professional)
Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor preparation training is available via the Thames Valley Training Hub: Standards for student supervision and assessment training – Working across Wessex
Interested? Follow These 5 Steps
| Step | Action | Instructions |
| 1 | Check Eligibility & FAQs | Confirm with the Training Hub if you have hosted learners previously (england.primarycareschooltvw.se@nhs.net.) |
| 2 | Request an Application Pack | Email england.wte.nursingandmidwifery@nhs.net with the subject line “EOI Application Pack Request”, for the attention of Annmarie Sanderson. The application pack includes the full guidance and FAQs. |
| 3 | Submit Any Queries | If you have questions about the fund or application process email england.wte.nursingandmidwifery@nhs.net, for the attention of Annmarie Sanderson. As part of the application, to be linked with an HEI in need of local placements contact the Training Hub (england.primarycareschooltvw.se@nhs.net). |
| 4 | Submit Your Application | Send your completed application to england.wte.nursingandmidwifery@nhs.net with the subject line “Nursing Community Placement EOI”, for the attention of Annmarie Sanderson. cc in the Training Hub (england.primarycareschooltvw.se@nhs.net). Applications must be received by 11:59pm on 21 October 2026. |
| 5 | Further Support | The Thames Valley Training Hub (england.primarycareschooltvw.se@nhs.net) is here to support you with, university liaison/ partnering, placement coordination, educator preparation, onboarding requirements and establishing sustainable nursing placement opportunities. |
Don’t Miss the Deadline!! Applications close on 21 October 2026 at 11:59pm
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Fundamentals in Primary Care course
The Fundamentals in Primary Care course run by Buckinghamshire New Universityis for qualified nurses or NAs new to General Practice to support their transition into Primary Care.
This course covers core clinical skills essential for nursing roles in Primary Care and includes an introduction to other key areas such as health promotion, screening and long-term condition management as well as offering leadership development and strengthening understanding of accountability, quality and governance.
Please note, this course is available for those working in Thames Valley only.
How to apply
To express interest, email: england.primarycareschooltvw.se@nhs.net.
BNU General Practice Course Flyer 2026
For more information, please view Fundamentals in Primary Care frequently asked questions [PDF, size: 122 KB].
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General Practice Nursing (GPN) Foundations course
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Training Hub, within the Thames Valley and Wessex (TVW) Primary Care School, have been working in partnership with Bournemouth University and Dorset ICB to better support nurses and nursing associates (NAs) who are new to general practice.
The new course will be delivered in two parts:
- Foundation – focuses on building core clinical skills alongside the professional and personal development needed to deliver effective patient care in General Practice
- Enhanced – provides greater depth of knowledge, supporting the development of critical analysis and enhanced clinical skills
Nurses and NAs new to General Practice can undertake either, or both, elements depending on their previous experience. NAs may study at level 6 only, while registered nurses can choose to study at level 6 or 7.
- Part 1 (Foundation): September 2026 or February 2027
- Part 2 (Enhanced): May 2027 [this must be booked at the same time as part 1]
How to apply
Further details are available on the attached information sheets. To apply for a place, please complete the
HIOW GPN Foundations course Microsoft Form.
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NA and student nursing associate (SNA) support network
Nursing associates are a growing profession within Primary Care. As such, we are bringing together NAs and SNAs working in Primary Care, in a new support network, to engage, build relationships, and provide a platform for supportive and informative discussions.
These open forums will provide a safe space to:
- Connect with your peers
- Identify ongoing educational and development needs
- Reflect and explore common challenges
- Share ideas and resources
Sessions are held virtually approximately every eight weeks.
Attendance at these sessions can be evidenced in your revalidation or as protected learning time.
Network dates
New network dates and joining links coming soon.
We are keen to ensure the Nursing Associate Support Network remains relevant and valuable to its members. If you have ideas for future sessions or topics you would like us to explore, please contact us via the Primary Care School inbox (england.primarycareschooltvw.se@nhs.net). Your feedback will help shape upcoming network events and learning opportunities
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Standards for student supervision and assessment (SSSA) training
TVW Primary Care School are delivering free SSSA training sessions for nurses and NAs supporting nursing students. This one-day session will provide you with the foundations needed to inspire the next generation of GPNs.
The course is suitable for nurses and NAs that have:
- No previous educator experience
- Previous educator experience
- Recently qualified
Please note, if you were previously a qualified nurse mentor or sign-off mentor, it is mandatory to transition to the practice supervisor / assessor role, in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards for supervision.
How to apply
Submit the SSSA training Microsoft Form or scan the QR code to book on to a course.
All courses will be run virtually on Microsoft Teams. Your course facilitator will share a joining link and pre-reading materials two weeks before the course.
Course dates
- Monday 12 October 2026, 9am to 3pm
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Practice supervisor preparation and practice supervisor and practice assessor (PS / PA) update
The PS / PA update elearning courses are designed to prepare and update nurses, NAs, midwives, and other registered healthcare professionals who support students on NMC approved programmes during their practice placements. This includes nursing, nursing associate and midwifery programmes aligned to the NMC standards for student supervision and assessment (2018).
Explore other offers
Apply for advanced practice workforce development funding Apply for continuing professional development (CPD) funding Apply for independent prescribing coursesReceive updates from us
If you would like to hear more about opportunities for GPNs, please refer back to this webpage or sign up to our mailing list.