North West Faculty for Advancing Practice

April 2026 Update 

Faculty News and Updates

Launch of Late submissions for funding applications 

NHSE Faculty for Advancing Practice across the North West are pleased to announce the launch of the late submission funding application process to support the educational training funding for MSc Advanced Clinical Practice Autumn 2026 and Spring 27 cohorts.  

The deadline for late submissions is 17:00 on Wednesday 3 June 2026 and the outcome of the process will be sent to organisations as soon as possible and no later than the end of June 2026.   

What should you do if you are interested in applying for funding    

Please see our webpage containing our guide to implementing and funding and the online form to submit the funding request submission.  

• If your service is part of a NHS Trust please contact you AP Lead who can support the development of an Advanced Practice role and the funding request process.    

• All other employers delivering NHS commissioned services please complete an application form    

Are you ready to support Advancing Practice:   

The Primary Care Readiness Checklist or Organisation readiness checklist is an opportunity to guide you on what you need to implement    

Please be aware of the following:    

• Funding is for the organisation not the learner - movement across organisations whilst in education is dependent on the new employer agreeing to continue support. 

• Applications should reflect the workforce need that you are able to support - withdrawing places before enrolment may result in other organisations being denied much needed places, especially when there is only one intake a year    

• Support and supervision are key to the success of learners - please consider how your learning environment will actively allow learners to flourish    

• Our funding is dependent on the demand-led process being followed – securing a place on a programme with the education institution directly does not guarantee funding.  

• The Faculty will fund up to 3 modules to complete the Advancing Practice Masters qualification. If more than 3 modules are required please submit for a full Master’s programme and then further discussions can be held around existing credits. 

North West AP Leads Network Event 

The Regional Advanced Practice Leads Network Event, hosted by the Faculty on 11th March 2026, centred on strengthening leadership, impact, and governance across the North West. The event brought together AP leads and system partners to share best practice and drive workforce transformation.  

Suzanne Douglas (North West Leadership Academy) provided an overview of the soon to be launched national Leadership and Management Framework, highlighting the importance of collective leadership and robust governance in advancing practice. Anna Halliday and Alice Hool, pre-registration dietitians on Faculty placement, showcased the positive impact of dietitians in AP roles—see their feature later in this newsletter. Johanna Sundercombe (Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) presented her Trust’s AP impact report, inspiring attendees to adopt her tools for local improvement. Annabella Gloster, Faculty Lead, shared insights from the AP Governance Maturity Matrix, identifying regional strengths and development priorities. 

The Faculty would like to thank all our speakers for their valuable contributions and colleagues at Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS Foundation Trust for hosting the event. Future event dates will follow, and starting in Spring, the Faculty will arrange 1:1 follow up discussions with AP Leads (invites will be sent shortly).  

Leadership Practice Based Learning: Showcasing Dietetic Impact in Advanced Practice 

Over the past ten weeks, two pre‑registration dietetic learners, Anna Halliday and Alice Hool, have completed their spoke leadership practice based learning (PBL) with the Faculty, undertaking an ambitious project exploring the role of dietitians within advanced practice across the North West. Dietitians remain significantly underrepresented in this space, and their work has brought timely insights into the opportunities and challenges within the current landscape. 

Throughout their PBL, Anna and Alice analysed regional workforce data, developed case studies with advanced practice dietitians and produced clear, evidence based recommendations to support regional workforce planning. They embraced the leadership learning embedded within the PBL, demonstrating strong reflection, confident communication, collaborative working and a mature ability to link team level learning to system level impact. They have shared their work with senior stakeholders at the regional AP Lead meeting in March and the North West Dietetic Managers Network meeting to help shape future training opportunities for the profession. 

Anna and Alice have both exceeded the expectations of PBL, shown genuine leadership capabilities and represented the dietetic profession with professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment. It has been a pleasure to support their development, and we look forward to seeing the impact they make in the years ahead. 

If you would like to find out more about the case studies produced from this project, please visit our website.

Lancashire Apprenticeship Awards 2026: five trainee AP finalists  

Five learners from the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Degree Apprenticeship) programme at the University of Lancashire have been shortlisted as finalists in the Health and Public Service category at the Lancashire Apprenticeship Awards 2026. Each of these learners has been supported through NHS England North West training grant funding, showcasing the impact of continued investment in advanced practice apprenticeship routes. Congratulations to all the finalists, and we wish them the very best of luck ahead of the awards.  

National Education and Training Survey (NETS) results 

The results of the National Education and Training Survey (NETS) 2025 were released in March and are now available to view online.

This year, 242 trainee Advanced Practitioners in the North West completed the survey, placing the region third nationally for response numbers. Encouragingly, scores improved in 11 out of 13 domains compared to 2024, with the North West ranking top for overall experience and teaching and learning.  

The Faculty extends its thanks to all who participated. Over the coming months, we will review the results in detail and engage with stakeholders to set objectives and build on these positive outcomes.    

Conferences, webinars and study days 

Centre for Advancing Practice Masterclass Series  

Following the success of the 2025 Masterclasses, the Centre for Advancing Practice Masterclass Series continues into the new year, focusing on strategy, consultant practice, mental health, learning disabilities and autism, and health inequalities. Webinars include: 

The national Masterclass Series launched in June, focusing on advanced clinical skills, leadership, resilience, and supervision. These sessions sold out fast—sign up early for 2026! 

Upcoming Masterclass events:

• Health Inequalities - Date: 23rd April 2026 Time: 12:30 to 13:30 

University of Chester – Advanced Practice Conference 

The University of Chester are hosting their second Advanced Practice conference on Wednesday 1st July. Please see the flyer below for more information.  

NIHR North West Regional Research Delivery Network Research Roadshow: Wednesday 29th April 09:00 - 13:00

Do you work in the North West? Do you work in health or social care? Are you curious about research — or already building it into your role? Perhaps you are actively supporting, delivering or leading research. 

If that sounds like you, we would love you to join a free online regional event hosted by Janette Dunkerley, your National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) North West Regional Research Delivery Network Health and Care Director for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions. She will be joined by Professor Ruth Endacott, NIHR Director for Nursing and Midwifery, and colleagues from the nursing, midwifery and allied health professions team.  

The event will provide an opportunity for us in the North West to showcase our work, highlight our priorities and provide a space for us to discuss any challenges we may be having locally or nationally. Over the next year, Ruth and colleagues will be “visiting” all 12 Regional Research Delivery Networks, with her first visit being the North West.  

We encourage staff at all levels and involvement in research to join this event.  

This is a chance to celebrate the fantastic research happening in our region and, just as importantly, to hear directly from individuals about what really matters in our research world. 

What you can look forward to: 

• The latest national research updates 

• Highlights of research activity across our region 

• Inspiring stories from local colleagues showcasing their research activity 

• A live Q&A with Ruth and colleagues 

It’s completely free to attend and you can register here.

Research funding opportunities 

NIHR Developing Leader Research Programme

Closing date: 21 April 2026 

A three-year funded programme for nurses, midwives and AHPs, offering protected time to develop research leadership skills and embed research within your organisation. You can find more information and apply here. 
 

International Journal for Advancing Practice  

Looking to stay up to date with the latest publications in the field of advancing practice? Wondering where to publish your latest research? Why not visit the International Journal for Advancing Practice?

We would like to wish a happy Easter to all those who celebrated last week, and we hope that everyone had the opportunity to rest and recharge as we move into spring.