Primary Care Learning Organisation FAQ’s

This can be flexible, for whoever is best placed in a Learning Organisation, some best practice from pilots has been an overall lead (sometimes experienced trainer or Clinical Director) and then separate leads for different professional groups.

No this visit does not have to be hosted online. This meeting is likely to be held remotely on Teams due to panel availability, however, it can also be in person or a hybrid approach. 

A learner representative on the panel maybe a GP Doctor in Training Education/Leadership Scholar from within the Learning Organisation, or a current learner based in another organisation.

The role of a learner on a panel is the same as for any of the other panel members. You will be invited to discuss your perspective as a learner about the learning environment, learning opportunities, supervision, and workplace assessments.

our views will be recorded and anonymised. This will then be used to contribute to the approval panel process and final report. Thank you for your time and contribution.

On the visiting panel you will need, a Training Hub Representative, appropriate representation for all the learners across all environments in the organisation. Which might include, an AEI representative, a School of Primary Care AD and a relevant trainer (Educational or Clinical supervisor).  

Consider who you would like to represent your organisation, this should include a lead Supervisor for each learner group. It may also include Learners, Practice Managers and other Supervisors for your different multidisciplinary learners.

How many people attend this meeting may depend on how comfortable you are in representing each other as one organisation.

Work up/co-ordinate the completion of the Learning Organisation approval paperwork ready for the approval visit working with the Training Hub Quality Lead, the Training Hub Business Coordinator, Supervisors and AEI’s. Liaise and agree a date and appropriate panel representation with Training Hub Quality Lead for the Learning Organisation approval panel visit. To complete the annual return and return to the Training Hub Business Coordinator.

Yes, this replaces previous reapproval processes.

The time saving for practices is the move to one unified approval for all professional groups at scale. The time saving for School of Primary Care is the previous 3 yearly face to face reapproval meeting at each individual practice is moving to a one off panel meeting for the Learning Organisation as a whole with a light touch annual return with up to date information about the Learning Organisation.

There has been a change of process and there is no longer a requirement for the School of Primary Care to carry out practice reapproval visits. There has been a split in site and supervisor approval, supervisor reapproval will continue through the School of Primary Care.

There is flexibility in this depending on local capacity and needs, however we would expect all Learning Organisation Approvals to be completed within the next 5 years. (Prior to April 2028)

This will come down to local conversations about capacity, we would expect all Learning Organisation Approvals to be completed within the next 5 years. (Prior to April 2028)

In this case it would be about promoting the benefits of the process and seeking clarity around the reasons why they do not want to undergo this process. This process is designed to save PCNs and Practices time and effort.

There is a single process for the approvals, there is some best practice we will share however all paperwork and applications will go to the the Quality Assurance Group for Primary Care Learning Organisations to ensure there is consistency across Learning Organisations and Training Hubs.

The purpose of the paperwork is to provide enough information to the panel and to inform the conversation seeing what gaps there are to delve into in the meeting.

The application form is based on the NHSE WT&E Quality Framework. This Framework makes clear the quality standards expected of clinical learning environments, safeguarded through the NHS Education Contract.

Unfortunately no this would not be possible as this is a new and separate process and separate and historical information is no longer relevant.

This process covers all Learners who attract a Trainer Grant or Tariff Payment or are on a programme directly commissioned by NHS England.

Ideally there would be attendance at the panel meeting from every practice, however if they have engaged with the application and the panel are satisfied with their engagement, then you can make your panel recommendations. Please mention any mitigating factors with your paperwork eg: practice engaged with the application but was unable to attend.

If the panel find that some of their queries regarding the quality standards at that practice cannot be answered without a representative at the meeting, the panel should highlight this as an action and arrange a follow up by the most appropriate panel member. A timeline for this information needs to be fed back and should be agreed and documented. In the interim this may lead to a provisional recommendation for the Learning Organisation approval pending this information.

To approve an additional Learning environment under a pre-approved Learning Organisation, the named link contact for the Learning Organisation is required to complete the NHSE SW Learning Organisation Approval Amendment Form to inform us of the intention to include the additional learning environment. Once this is done, they will then need to complete an updated application form which needs to be sent to england.traininghubquality.sw@nhs.net for review by the NHSE Southwest Quality Assurance Group for Primary Care Learning Organisations where a decision of approval will be made.

Although approving at scale it is possible to specify restrictions on 1 practice within a PCN for example 4 practices form a PCN and the panel decides practice 1 is not suitable for nurses, this wouldn’t stop the rest of the practices in the PCN taking learners.

Any approval process looks at one point in time, and concerns can arise at any time, these should be raised through the Concerns Escalation process.

Although approving at scale it is possible to specify restrictions on 1 practice within a PCN for example 4 practices form a PCN and the panel decides practice 1 is not suitable for nurses, this wouldn’t stop the rest of the practices in the PCN taking learners.

The Learning Organisation Approval Process is one off however Learning Organisations will have to engage with Business as usual including the annual returns process, Quality Panels, The National Student Survey (NSS), The National Training Survey (NTS) and The National Education and Training Survey (NETS) and the AEI business as usual processes to ensure ongoing quality as per the NHSE WT&E Quality Framework.

The Learning Organisation Approval is the process you go through to ensure your learning organisation meets the quality standards outlined in the NHSE WT&E Quality framework in order to host learners. All locations where learners are on placement must be approved prior to any placement starting. This approval can be attained through previous systems or through the new Learning Organisation approval process. The Education contract is required where NHSE is making any type of payment related to the learners. 

Learning Organisation approval has no direct link with the NHS Education Contract. The approval process does not need a contract to be in place beforehand. Successful completion of the approval process does not necessarily mean that a contract will be required. The contract is only required where an organisation is providing funded activity or services. 

No. The Learning Organisation approval process does not require a contract to be in place before or during the process. The NHS Education Contract is only required where the PCN or GP Practice is providing a service where NHSE provides a payment for those services.  

The NHS Education Contract will be required where NHSE is making any type of payment related to the learners. The payment can include placement tariff, education grants, salary support etc. If no NHSE funded activity or services are being provided for the learners, no contract is required. 

Either the PCN or the practice, or even both, can hold a contract with NHSE. Which organisation holds the contract will depend on the financial arrangements in place between them. A contract is required for the organisation to which the NHSE funding is paid. The organisation will require a bank account in their own name and must be setup as a supplier on the NHSE finance system. 

The contract will continue to be used until 31 March 2024. From 1 April the contract will automatically transfer from HEE to NHS England and all contract holders will be notified of this change. There will not be any changes to the terms and conditions.  

All locations where learners are on placement must be approved prior to any placement starting. Tariff is only paid to locations once learners have been on placement and the timing of payments are linked to the Student Data Collection Tool process. 

Not currently. We see no immediate change in how tariff and other funding is paid. If we do hear about changes, we will let you know as soon as possible. 

The placement provider is approved by the university or approved education institute (AEI). The placement provider can be a PCN or an individual practice. The university notifies NHSE of the number of placement hours provided by each placement provider. NHSE then requests an invoice from the placement provider. The placement provider must hold a bank account in their own name and must be setup as a supplier on the NHSE finance system. Any local agreements are between the PCN and the practice, NHSE has no involvement in any local agreement and will pay the placement provider as notified by the university. It would be helpful for NHSE to be aware of all local agreements where PCNs have agreement to be paid placement tariff on behalf of the practices within their network. 

Yes, providing the AEI has approved the placement provider. Until the Learning Organisation Approval happens existing processes will continue.

This process is being rolled out across all the different parts of England, but its up to different regions to implement this at a speed that works for them. In the Southwest we have done a lot of preparatory work, working with AEI’s, Training Hubs and the School of Primary Care to establish what is the right way for us in the Southwest. Some regions were the pilots for this process and are therefore ahead but some regions are just beginning this work. The focus is on rolling it out at the appropriate speed for our region.

Please do email the Training Hub Quality email if you have queries: england.traininghubquality.sw@nhs.net

Local contacts:

Bristol North Somerset and South Gloucestershire: bnssg.training.hub@nhs.net
Bath Swindon and Wiltshire: bswicb.traininghub@nhs.net
Cornwall: kernowhealthcic.workforce@nhs.net
Devon: devon.traininghub@nhs.net
Gloucestershire: glccg.pcwc@nhs.net
Somerset: somersetlmc.office@nhs.net

Please note Dorset Training Hub is currently aligned to the South East for this work.

The data pack includes as much information as we can have access to, including latest NETs results, Quality Panel data and CQC ratings. Unfortunately do to the numbers in Primary Care placements this information can be sparse. Other data you could use could be any feedback from within the Learning Organisation.