Funding cut to general practice nurse fellowships ‘makes no sense’
Posted 12 January 2024 - 10:50
Programme’s funding will end in March, which draws fire from nursing leaders who warn that ‘newly registered nurses can’t just go straight into general practice’
National funding for general practice nurse (GPN) fellowships will be stopped at the end of March in a move nursing leaders have said ‘makes no sense’.
In its latest primary care bulletin on 5 January, NHS England (NHSE) stated that funding for current national GP retention schemes including general practice fellowships and supporting mentors will close, with future programmes to be commissioned by local Integrated Care Boards (ICB).
Currently all newly qualified nurses working in general practice can take part in the two-year scheme. They receive funded continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities of one session per week and rotational placements in or across primary care networks to develop experience and support transition into the primary care workforce.
Nursing leader fears fall in recruitment and retention
Queen’s Nursing Institute chief executive Crystal Oldman said the move was ‘unexpected with short notice’ and she feared the availability and quality of the education programme might be subject to ‘unwarranted variation’ now the funding would be at the discretion of ICBs.
Dr Oldham said she found out about the funding change through the NHSE bulletin, despite being ‘closely involved in inception and development’ of the education scheme.
She warned that recruitment and retention could decline back to the ‘pre-GPN fellowship era’ as a result of the change.
Fellowship helps nurses to ‘hit the ground running’
Lead nurse at the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw primary care workforce and training hub, and Queen’s nurse, Emma Thompson, vowed to fight for local funding.
She told Nursing Standard that keeping the fellowship scheme should be ‘a no-brainer’ as it offered exceptional value and allowed nurses to ‘hit the ground running into primary care’.
Funding cut ‘will have huge impact on primary care’
Ms Thompson added: ‘Our programme provides the pipeline into careers in primary care in the region. We hope that the central NHSE funding will be replaced with another source from the ICB, but it’s a massive risk unless it is earmarked.
‘It makes no sense to cut the funding for this – it will have a huge impact on nurses and the wider primary care network of South Yorkshire.’
The hub, based across Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley, has seen more than 100 nurses complete the fellowship, with around 50 nurses and 89 GPs currently enrolled in the programme in two cohorts a year.
Fellowship creates ‘huge return on investment’
Hub director Louise Berwick said they discovered the news about their funding cuts ‘on the grapevine’ and were not informed directly.
She added: ‘We are very anxious that this [funding] could be taken. Like GPs, newly registered nurses can’t just go straight into general practice, and we are the only ones offering this in our area.
‘We are worried that the right people are not aware of the huge return on investment they create from this well-established service.’
NHSE confirmed that any nurses or GPs already involved the scheme will continue to have funding in place for 2024-25.
It has been contacted for further comment on the decision.
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