General Practice Nurse Mid-Career Fellowship Programme 2025-2026
What is the Mid-Career Fellowship Programme?
The GPN Mid-career fellowship is a pilot programme running between April 2025 and the end of March 2026. The fellowship is open to all registered nurses working within general practice who have been within a practice nurse role for at least two years.
The programme will offer the nurse four hours of paid protected learning time away from clinic each week to undertake work and training linked to a quality improvement project to enhance practice or patient care. This time will be in addition to your substantive role within practice and can be completed at days and times to suit the individual. Although there are some set dates for induction and training, we would like all fellows to attend in the first month of the programme.
The Quality improvement projects will be linked to Place Based Partnership priorities and where appropriate we can link the nurses into projects already happening across the system.
There are eight fellowships available in total. The programme will offer ongoing support through facilitators and trainers who will support the fellows throughout the programme. There will be specific drop-in sessions each month and the facilitators will offer regular one to ones with the fellow to offer ongoing support as needed.
The beginning of the fellowship also offers several training sessions to equip the nurses on the journey of quality improvement as well as supporting them with individual and professional development through programmes such as the Mazi and Ena programmes.
Programme / Training offer
Training Sessions and Events
Date and Time
GPN Mid-Career Fellowship Introduction Day sessions
Agenda for the day:
• Introduction to the fellowship
• Confidence building and imposter syndrome workshop.
• Introduction to Quality Improvement and research within practice.
• Project management Skills
• Fellowship project planning
Wednesday 2 July 2025.
Venue to be confirmed.
2 x One to One Coaching session with Lucy Wright, A career, leadership and life coach
Times and Dates to be arranged individually.
Mid-point F2F event
Agenda for the day:
• Effective communication within an MDT
• DISC profile discussion (Part of the ENA Programme delivery)
• Poster Presentation development workshop
• Evaluation Writing
Date to be confirmed but hoping for Tuesday 30 September 2025.
Venue to be confirmed.
Mazi Programme *
With Nicola Payne
Times and Dates to be arranged individually.
Ena Programme **
With Nicola Payne
Times and Dates to be arranged individually.
End point support day
Agenda for the day:
• Public speaking workshop
• Project completion support & Feedback
• Career Development ‘Next Steps’
Date to be confirmed but hoping for Thursday 29 January 2026.
Venue to be confirmed.
Ongoing Facilitator Support
With Gemma Bird
Monthly Drop-in sessions
MS Teams links will be sent to participants.
Individual sessions on offer as required by fellows.
End of project Celebratory Event
Face to Face event, inviting colleagues from across the system to join us to celebrate the work and achievements undertaken by the fellows.
Venue and agenda to be confirmed nearer the time.
Thursday 19 March 2026.
Venue to be confirmed.
**The delivery of the Ena Programme. This facilitated programme emphasises the power of self-discovery, conflict styles and preferences, and setting personal goals for increased happiness and motivation. Compromising of 3 x 2-hour virtual sessions per participant via Zoom with an Enono Associate.
*The face-to-face delivery of the Mazi Programme for up to 8 participants. This facilitated programme explores the power of self-discovery, personal triggers, connecting with workplace colleagues and growing healthy workplace cultures. As part of this programme individual Everything DISC workplace assessment profiles.
Application requirements
Nurse Application Requirements
Registered Nurse
Minimum of two years working within general practice
Support and sign off from Manager
Support and Agreement from practice or PCN to undertake some form of quality improvement work, research, or audit as part of the fellowship to enhance patient care.
Ability to commit 4 hours per week for the duration of the fellowship (12 months). Annual leave included.
Four hours per week will be paid at £22.50 per hour (Band 7 equivalent) for the duration of the fellowship to ensure the GPN has the protected paid learning time to undertake the fellowship successfully. An additional 30% oncosts will also be paid to cover any additional costs from employer towards pension and NI etc.
This will be paid via a memorandum of understanding with the nurses’ current employer or via a self-employment basis if the nurse would prefer.
Project ideas / suggestions
As part of the fellowship General practice Nurse fellows will be undertaking a quality improvement project linked with their practice. The project can be at practice, PCN or ICS level. Fellows may already have a project in mind which they would be welcome to apply to this fellowship, those without a specific project will be linked in with current and ongoing quality improvement projects to ensure exposure and opportunity to develop professionally is given. We will try our best to link GPN fellows with projects of particular interest to them. As part of the application process, applicants will be asked to choose 3 main areas of professional interest, to support the facilitator link them in with projects of interest.
Areas to choose from are:
Immunisations and vaccinations - Children
Immunisations and Vaccinations - Adults
Respiratory Disease
Diabetes Management
Staff Wellbeing & retention
Student Nurse placements
Frailty & ageing well
Learning Disabilities
Health inequalities
End point celebration event
An End point celebratory event is to be held on Thursday 19th March 2026. This event will bring the fellowship to a close and give each fellow the opportunity to present their work to colleagues from across Primary Care and the ICB.
How to apply
Closing Date for Applications: Friday 30 May 2025.
Further information
If anyone would like further information, they can attend the sessions organised on the (Link below) or they can email Gemma Bird on gemma.bird5@nhs.net
On-line information sessions:
Wednesday 23rd April 2025 12-1pm
Meeting ID: 310 914 823 989
Passcode: bb67cz7f
Tuesday 6th May 2025 12-1pm
Meeting ID: 310 914 823 989
Passcode: bb67cz7f
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