Nurse and leadership training face ‘devastating’ cuts

Trusts are urging the government to exempt NHS-related roles from controversial plans to axe funding for higher-level apprenticeships.

The government announced plans in September to replace the existing scheme for funding apprenticeships with a “growth and skills levy”. The new levy is intended to support investment “in younger workers” and shorter schemes, which means national funding for “level 7” apprenticeships, the equivalent of a master’s degree, will be reduced.

Trusts typically use the level 7 apprenticeship levy to fund training for various advanced clinical roles, such as district nurses and advanced clinical practitioners.

The apprenticeships are also used by trusts to fund a range of leadership training programmes, such as the NHS Leadership Academy’s Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Rosalind Franklin programmes.

In an open letter addressed to Wes Streeting, seen by HSJ, trust leaders said the proposed changes “risk devastating critical training pathways for NHS roles”.

Its signatories include leaders of four trusts: West Suffolk, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s, Pennine Care, and Bridgewater Community Healthcare.

The letter to the health and social care secretary, sent today, was also signed by Royal College of Nursing general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger and Malcolm Press, the vice-chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University.

Mr Press said they were “urging the government to reconsider” as the move will “put the NHS under additional pressure”.

The letter said employers would face “considerable financial barriers” if they had to cover the cost of the apprentice schemes, likely to lead to a “significant decline” in uptake. The proposals also threatened to “undermine” the NHS’s capacity to meet the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, it said.

It continued: “Without central support, the NHS cannot sustain these training pathways. The ripple effects will compromise workforce development, weaken healthcare provision, and exacerbate the already critical recruitment and retention challenges facing the NHS.”

They often support “community-based roles such as health visitors, school nurses, and district nurses”, it said, meaning the move “conflicts with the stated objectives of improving community health and alleviating pressures on acute services”.

‘Very concerning’

NHS Employers chief executive Danny Mortimer described the apprenticeship funding decision as “very concerning” and told HSJ: “This decision risks slowing the pace of service improvement, particularly in relation to opportunities for enhanced and advanced clinical practice and leadership development.

“As the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out, apprenticeships are a very effective way of both growing the workforce and widening participation.

“However, plans to modernise the NHS and deliver the government’s three shifts in health could be undermined if a lack of funding prevents NHS staff from being able to develop specialist skills and clinical practice.

“Leaving it to local employers to fund these apprenticeships will lead to further geographical inequalities and a slowing of service improvement.” 

A Department for Education spokeswoman told HSJ: “We will be asking more employers to step forward and fund level 7 apprenticeships themselves to ensure apprenticeships support those who need them most, while also meeting the needs of individuals, employers and the economy.”

The DHSC did not wish to comment.