Work for us : Returning to practice
Overview
We understand that when your circumstances in life change, so can your career plans. Whether you’ve taken time away to care for a loved one, start your own family, or just needed a break from healthcare, we can help you find your way back through our return to practice programme.
We're keen to support you in your return to practice journey. We can help you by providing clinical placements for both nursing and allied healthcare professionals, which are an essential part of your return to practice programme.
How it works
How you rejoin the register depends on how long you’ve been away and how many practice hours you completed before you left.
If you’ve completed 450 hours of registered practice in the last three years, or 750 hours of registered practice in the last five years, you can apply to return to the register right away.
Routes
There are two routes you could choose from to regain your PIN:
- University Return to Practice course
- NHS Professionals fast-track Return to Practice programme
Returning to practice as a nurse
There are two routes you could choose from to regain your PIN:
- University Return to Practice course
- NHS Professionals fast-track Return to Practice programme
Our Return to Practice partner is the University of Brighton, which has a fully online Return to Practice (RTP) programme that means you can study from the comfort of your own home with no costly or time-consuming commute.
The University of Brighton holds regular online Q&A sessions in which you can find out all the information needed to apply for your RTP Programme.
Once you have started the application process, you will need to confirm that you have a placement in principle. Please use the Return to Practice Placement request form, which you will find at the bottom of the page.
NHS Professionals fast-track Return to Practice programme
NHS Professionals' fully-funded 30 week programme will guide you through the Test of Competence route back to registration. You will receive support in preparing for the Computer-Based Test (CBT) and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) skills stations.
Returning to practice as an allied health professional (AHP)
If you’re looking to restart your career as an allied health professional, you’ll need to re-join the register through the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Depending on how long you’ve been away, you might need to take on a work placement, join a return to work course or do your own independent study to update your skills and knowledge.
- If you’ve been out of practice for less than two years you can re-join right away
- If you’ve been out of practice for two to five years then you need to spend 30 days updating your skills and knowledge
- If you’ve been out of practice for five years or more then you need to spend 60 days updating your skills and knowledge
Whether you decide to take on a work placement in one of our services or go on a return to practice course at a local university, we’ll help you start your journey back into work.
University Return to Practice courses
We can help you apply for a return to practice programme or course at one of our local Thames Valley universities. These can take between 3 to 12 months to complete and involve a work placement to help you build up your practice hours.
It’s easy to fund your course, Health Education England will cover your university fees.
Local Thames Valley universities
Take a look at our local universities to find a return-to-work course that's right for you.
University of Brighton and University of Plymouth offer online courses, where the intake is from September to February.
Visit their website to find out more.
University of Hertfordshire offers a blended approach to the course, where the intake is from September to February.
University of Northampton offers a blended approach to the course, where the intake is from February to May.
Visit their website to find out more.
Financial support
If you apply directly to a university, NHS England will pay for your course and placement fees. You’ll also be given £1,000 to help cover any childcare, travel and book costs.
NHS Professionals fast-track Return to Practice programme
NHS Professionals fully funded 30 week programme will guide you through the Test of Competence route back to registration. You’ll receive support in preparing for the Computer-Based Test (CBT) and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) skills stations.
Returning to practice as an allied health professional (AHP)
If you’re looking to restart your career as an allied health professional, you’ll need to rejoin the register through the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Depending on how long you’ve been away, you might need to take on a work placement, join a return to work course or do your own independent study to update your skills and knowledge.
- If you’ve been out of practice for less than two years you can rejoin right away
- If you’ve been out of practice for two to five years, then you need to spend 30 days updating your skills and knowledge
- If you’ve been out of practice for five years or more then you need to spend 60 days updating your skills and knowledge
Whether you decide to take on a work placement in one of our services or go on a return to practice course at a local university (don’t worry - we can help you find funding for this), get in touch with us, and we’ll help you start your journey back into work.
Applying for a role
Once you’ve rejoined the register, you’ll be able to apply for a qualified professional role, with support from the Early Careers team.
Contact us
Get in touch with our team to start your journey back into practice today.
Early careers
Return to practice form
Use our online expression of interest form to start your journey.