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Shortened Midwifery Training for Registered Adult Nurses - Funding Arrangements

The three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services recognises that continued investment is required to increase the midwifery establishment. One route to consider is for adult nurses to undertake a shortened midwifery programme.

In early 2022, a funding offer was agreed to support places for adult nurses on the Shortened Midwifery Training Programme across England. The recent publication of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan commits to continue funding across NHS England regions. This provides registered nurses with a training programme to become registered midwives and will lead to the registration of over 1,000 more midwives by 2026.

The programme usually takes two years to complete however the length of time required will be established during any interviews or discussions you have with your university and the placement provider.

When you qualify, you’ll be able to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a registered midwife.

The current funding includes:

A consistent salary contribution to the employing trust to support all students to be aligned to the mid-point of AFC band 5, including on-costs for the organisation (scheduled on-cost is a term used to describe the costs to employ a person in addition to their salary, such as recruitment, administrative processes etc)
- Learners may receive a salary that reflects their current pay point.
A tuition fee contribution of up to £9,250 per student per annum, pro rata for the length of the course.
Placement providers will directly receive funding for placement activity in line with the published tariff rate for clinical placement activity.

The funding model will be reviewed periodically based on regional demand and workforce need. It has been available to support students who started courses from January 2022.

Students eligible for this funding offer will not be able to access the Learning Support Fund (LSF). Further information on eligibility requirements for the LSF is available from the NHS Business Services Authority website. However, students are entitled to seek support, if eligible, from the Student Loans Company for a maintenance loan.

Internationally educated nurses must consider their visa conditions before applying, employers and universities must also consider this during recruitment.

Requests for additional information or any questions that have not been addressed by the FAQs below, please contact the relevant regional NHS England team:

North West: england.nw.midwifery@nhs.net

South East: england.nursingandmidwifery.se@nhs.net

North East and Yorkshire: england.nursing.north@nhs.net

London: england.nursingandmidwiferyldn@nhs.net

Midlands: england.nursingandmidwifery.midlands@nhs.net

East of England: england.nursingandmidwifery.eoe@nhs.net

South West: england.nursingandmidwifery.sw@nhs.net

Funded programmes by region

The universities below offer the shortened programme over 18 or 24 months and applicants must hold and maintain current NMC adult nurse registration throughout their course. Please click on the relevant university for full course details, including blended learning options, the next intake date, entry requirements and contact information.

Map of the 7 UK regions with Universities