Additional
| Apprenticeship | Advanced Clinical Practitioner |
|---|---|
| Location | Blended, Face-to-face |
| Education Provider | Edge Hill University |
Advanced Clinical Practitioner (Level 7)
Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs) are experienced clinicians who demonstrate expertise in their scope of practice. ACPs manage defined episodes of clinical care independently, from beginning to end, providing care and treatment from the time an individual first presents through to the end of the episode, which may include admission, referral or discharge or care at home. They carry out their full range of duties in relation to individuals’ physical and mental healthcare and in acute, primary, urgent and emergency settings (including hospitals, general practice, individuals’ homes, schools and prisons, and in the public, independent, private and charity sectors). They combine expert clinical skills with research, education and clinical leadership within their scope of practice which are the 4 pillars of ACP. Advanced Clinical Practitioners work innovatively on a one-to-one basis with individuals as well as part of a wider team.
Employer Feedback
Feedback from Managers on the benefits the ACP apprenticeship has brought to the organisation:
”Improved patient access to highly trained and skilled clinicians who are able to autonomously treat, assess and manage a variety of presentations.”
”Has improved urgent capacity in the short term. Learner has developed across the 4 pillars of advanced practice and are now much more autonomous practitioners. Patients are being seen by highly skilled practitioner who is able to provide right care in right place at right time.”
”Apprentice has grown in confidence and is able to see more complex patients under supervision. This has enabled the practice to increase appointments for the on call improving the service to patients.”
”Succession planning for ACP role which is difficult to recruit to, so is enabling a “grow our own” approach. Developing trainee in 4 pillars advanced practice. Gaining confidence and competence in all of these areas. Improved access for patients to see appropriate clinician early.”
”Apprentice has gained more confidence in developing role, has a better clinical understanding which improved patient care, has a better understanding of the contractual/business needs of the practice.”
”Improvement of access for service users. Apprentice seems to have easily transferred from role as a practice nurse into the trainee ACP role.”
”The benefits that an ACP professional brings to an organisation come from working across the 4 pillars of Advanced Clinical Practice: advanced clinical expertise, evidence-based strategies applied in practice to enhance patient safety and quality of the services provided, initiation of activities to improve gaps in practice, support practice education, working to best practice. The apprenticeship has delivered the outcomes we expected and has had a positive impact across the organisation in several key areas. With ACPs now managing a wider range of presentations independently, we have seen noticeable improvements in patient access, continuity, and the overall quality of care. This directly addressed our need to relieve pressure on GPs while maintaining safe, effective services.”
Duration
36 months
36 months
Most Suitable For
Those wanting to combine expert clinical skills with research, education and clinical leadership within their scope of practice,which are the 4 pillars of ACP. This course is for registered health care practitioners; such as AHP, Nurse, Pharmacist.
Those wanting to combine expert clinical skills with research, education and clinical leadership within their scope of practice,which are the 4 pillars of ACP. This course is for registered health care practitioners; such as AHP, Nurse, Pharmacist.
Award
Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship Award and a Master's Degree (MSc) in Advanced Clinical Practice
Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship Award and a Master's Degree (MSc) in Advanced Clinical Practice
Programme Cost
£12,000.
Tuition fee financial support options, and how to apply for most of these, are detailed in our Apprenticeships Process Employer Guide. Please note the following important changes to apprenticeship tuition fee funding options, for August 2026-July 2027 intakes:
- For non-levy paying employers (most SMEs): the tuition fee will now be 100% gov funded if the candidate is aged 16-24 (or turning 16 June-August 2026). The education provider will advise employer how to secure this during programme application stage. For level 2-6 programmes if candidate is aged 25 or over, both the levy transfer (100% funds) and co-investment (95% funds) options will continue to be available for employers to apply for.
- For levy-paying employers: for all level 2-6 programmes, for both apprentices already on programme and future intakes, the co-investment option has changed to 25% employer contribution and 75% gov contribution. However, for future applications, the levy transfer option (100% funds) will continue to be available for employers to apply for.
Additional Funding
- NHSE ACP Training Grant and Tuition Fee Funding: Details and application instructions are usually announced in December relating to course intakes for the following academic year. Employers will ALSO need to apply for the apprenticeship itself via the training hub.
- Sep 2026 – March 2027 NHSE ACP Training Grant and Tuition Fee Funding has re-opened for employers to apply for. The deadline to apply is before 5pm Wednesday 3 June 2026. Please find out more here and apply for the funding here. This expression of interest form is for both the training grant and the tuition fee funding.
- Employer incentives for apprenticeships starting between August 2026-July 2027 (see here for full details):
- £1,000 if apprentice is aged 16-18 (or turning 16 June-August 2026); or aged between 19-24 and has either an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan provided by their local authority and/or has been, or are, in the care of their local authority.
- £2,000 for non-levy paying employers only (typically SMEs) if recruit person(s) aged 16-24 (or turning 16 June-August 2026) on to an apprenticeship programme from October 2026, as long as the employment only starts within 90 days before the intake start date.
- £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant - Employer may be able to apply for this if recruits an unemployed person(s) aged 18-24 who has been on universal credit for over 6 months. Full details are available here.
- Employer may not have to pay Class 1 Employer National Insurance if apprentice is under the age of 25. Full details are available here.
Start Date
September
September
Teaching Delivery
Blended with mainly face-to-face teaching (Ormksirk campus) and occasional online teaching
Blended with mainly face-to-face teaching (Ormksirk campus) and occasional online teaching
Key Learning Requirements
Apprenticeships require learners to achieve specific new knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs), which are detailed in the Apprenticeship Standard. These are achieved by;
1) Programme Teaching; usually minimum 1 day a week
2) Independent study; such as assignment/project research and write up
3) Learning in the workplace; shadowing colleagues, completing programme assigned work based projects, day-to-day development within your current role duties/work activities, reflections with mentor, relevant training sessions.
Modules
This Programme offers an ACP generic programme (adult focused pathway). For ACP Apprentices, the choice of Non-medical Prescribing in addition to the core modules and End Point Assessment means no further choice of modules. A list of the modules is available on the course webpage or course materials.
This Programme offers an ACP generic programme (adult focused pathway). For ACP Apprentices, the choice of Non-medical Prescribing in addition to the core modules and End Point Assessment means no further choice of modules. A list of the modules is available on the course webpage or course materials.
Placements
Placements are required.
Placements are required.
Assessments
Assessments are varied depending on content and learning outcome but include practical clinical skill exams (OSCEs), essays, report, presentations and portfolio. Final year will involve undertaking a service evaluation in practice. Apprenticeships are also assessed at the end of programme by End Point Assessment.
Assessments are varied depending on content and learning outcome but include practical clinical skill exams (OSCEs), essays, report, presentations and portfolio. Final year will involve undertaking a service evaluation in practice. Apprenticeships are also assessed at the end of programme by End Point Assessment.
Key Candidate Entry Requirements
*This information is currently being reviewed as some details may need updating*
- Maths and English: Apprenticeships may still require the candidate to have certain Maths and English qualifications at either application stage or to be completed early on alongside the apprenticeship. This could be due to profession regularity body requirements, the candidate's age, or because the Employer stipulates it is necessary for that position. The Education Provider will advise you on your options per application.
• Employed minimum 30 hours a week in a suitable role for the duration of the apprenticeship
• Normally expected to have an Honours Degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject, followed by a minimum of 4 years post-qualification work experience, with at least 1 year working knowledge of the speciality field and current registration relevant to your area of practice (for example, as an allied health professional, healthcare scientist, nurse, pharmacist, or public health professional)
• Enhanced DBS (within 3 years’ of course start date)
The university will consider Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) of previous studies/ACP standalone modules, as long as the learning outcomes and credits mirror the current programmes module.
Full requirements and details are found on the course webpage/information.
Key Employer Entry Requirements
• Ensure Learner has the support and opportunities to achieve the requirements of the apprenticeship
• Unified Learning Environment Audit (ULE). Locality GPEF with support with these checks/process.
• Registered Practitioner to mentor the apprentice. This can be an ACP with 2 or more years post qualification experience in the relevant area of practice who is a qualified mentor/trainer, or a GP (registrar or above) who is a qualified mentor/trainer. If the learner is doing independent prescribing as part of the course, they will also need a prescribing supervisor.
Listed as an Approved Provider under an NHS Procurement
Yes
Yes
Application Timescale
- It takes on average 2 – 3 months to complete all application stages for this programme. If recruiting to this position, additional time will be required for recruitment and advertising stages.
- Please note applications for the NHSE ACP Funding Grant will usually need to be completed earlier.
Additional Training Hub Support
Primary Care employees have access to:
- All resources provided by the L&SC PC Training Hub such as Digital training, Health and Wellbeing support and events.
- Plus Training Hub non-clinical Training and Resources. This webpage lists training and resources for non-clinical roles, which may compliment the apprenticeship (always check suitability with your apprenticeship education provider).
- Plus ACP Support once on programme includes:
- Training Hub ACP Lead will provide learners with more details and support options, such as links to the ACP forum.
- Locality GPF and ACP Lead are able to assist with placement queries.
Pathway
On successful completion of this apprenticeship, examples of further development via apprenticeship options could include; Coaching Professional, various Management/Leadership options. This interactive occupational maps tool shows the variety of progression pathways using apprenticeships. Career progression does not have to be linear. Entry criteria may differ per provider and even more varied routes may be available depending on the individuals prior learning and experience.
Information Last Updated
06/10/2025
06/10/2025
Further Programme and Provider Information
If you would like to know anything further about the programme itself, please contact: The Course Lead Mike Roberts on [email protected] . Mike encourages potential applicants to contact him prior to application.
How to Apply
If you would like to apply for an apprenticeship programme - either for yourself, a member of staff, or a vacancy position - please complete our apprenticeship form. This form is for Primary Care Employers within Lancashire and South Cumbria only.
By completing the form, the Training Hub Apprenticeships Team will be able to complete basic pre-checks, provide you with personalised guidance, and start the programme application process for you. If you would like to discuss anything first, please email [email protected] or call Olivia, Apprenticeships Manager, on 07735161775. You can find out about the stages of applying for an apprenticeship within our Apprenticeships Process (Employer Guide).
