Advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) can now be employed through the additional roles reimbursement scheme (ARRS) if they are working towards the controversial ‘digital badge’.
Previously, only those nurses who had already attained the ‘advanced practice’ digital badge – an initiative launched by NHS England in 2022 as a way of evidencing the ‘accredited education and training’ of ANPs in all settings – were eligible for a reimbursed role within general practice.
The change has been made as part of the Network Contract DES for 2025/26. It means experienced nurses working to attain an advanced practice ‘digital badge’, either through an accredited Master’s programme or via an ePortfolio route, are brought under the scope of ARRS eligibility.
The digital badge scheme is currently voluntary for all ANPs, other than those seeking employment under the ARRS in general practice.
Nurse leaders have previously raised concerns about the controversial NHS accreditation scheme –which has been described as ‘discriminatory’.
Over the last year, ANPs have struggled to access the digital badge, and experienced lengthy waits to enrol onto the ePortfolio route. Meanwhile, under the Master’s route, as it is mainly courses post-2017 that are accredited, ANPs who completed their education before then have to undergo the extensive ePortfolio option if they want to obtain the badge.
And as reported by our sister title Nursing in Practice last year, some nurses have been forced to take sick leave or look for jobs elsewhere because of delays and several barriers in obtaining the accreditation, especially via the ePortfolio route.
Research from the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) last year also warned that GP practices risked losing many experienced nurses as a result of the scheme, describing it as both ‘discriminatory’ and causing unnecessary stress among the profession.
Meanwhile, members of the profession have welcomed the fact this year’s network DES contract has improved the position for ANPs but indicated the change does not go far enough.
Chief executive of the QICN Dr Crystal Oldman said she remained concerned about the digital badge requirement and that she was aware of the ‘lengthy backlog’ in those trying to access the ePortfolio route.
‘The significant disappointment for the QICN is that ultimately, the single measure of advanced practice in nursing in general practice continues to be the digital badge and the routes to this are restricted.
‘This will continue to disadvantage those nurses in general practice who have worked at an advanced level for many years, if not decades.
‘There is no route to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and expertise at this level, other than the ePortfolio route which has been shown to be a slow and lengthy process.’
She added: ‘They feel trapped in a system of assessment which is not of their making, but which has at the centre, good intentions of ensuring a consistent and agreed level of advanced practice.
‘However, it has been executed in a way that disenfranchises excellent nurses with years of working at an advanced level.’
Dr Oldman said that concerns remained about ‘the very long backlog in the assessments of the ePortfolio route’ and that the QICN hears from nurses working in general practice that this ‘directly impacts on their employment and progression’.
She suggested that opening up ‘another route to assessment’ would kept them in the workforce’
For example, the QICN has argued that general practice nurses who graduate from universities offering the postgraduate GPN Specialist Practitioner Qualification at an advanced level, endorsed by the QICN, should be included in the ARRS.
‘It is disappointing that this is not yet the case,’ Dr Oldman said.
‘We will continue to present evidence of this route being the equivalent of an advanced clinical practitioner programme – additionally with a focus on the GPN field of practice.’
What does the Network Contract DES for 2025/26 say about requirements for ANPs under ARRS?
For advanced practitioner nurses to be employed through the ARRS, they must have either:
- Graduated from a Centre for Advancing Practice accredited MSc advanced practice programme or completed the Centre’s ePortfolio (Supported) Route; both pathways enable eligibility for an ‘Advanced’ digital badge issued by the Centre for Advancing Practice, demonstrating recognised educational and experiential preparation in advanced practice; or
- Enrolled as a trainee on a Centre for Advancing Practice accredited MSc advanced practice programme linked with subsequent guaranteed progression onto a reimbursable advanced practitioner nurse role on completion of training; or
- Enrolled on and progressed past the initial Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) stage of the Centre for Advancing Practice ePortfolio (supported) Route, linked with subsequent guaranteed progression onto a reimbursable advanced practitioner nurse role on completion of the ePortfolio process.
A version of this article was first published on our sister title Nursing in Practice.
