Government launches pilot to train more social care nurse prescribers

The government has launched a new pilot scheme to train more social care nurses to prescribe medicines.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) across seven areas in England will receive funding for prescribing training for 150 nurses, in an effort to prevent hospital admissions and free up doctors’ time.

The pilot has been launched by the health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, and could be introduced on a national-scale from next year.

Mr Streeting said: ‘I know the extraordinary, skilled and compassionate work that nurses in social care already do – and now we’re backing them with funding for advanced training and a qualification.

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‘Our neighbourhood health service, as part of our 10 Year Health Plan, will meet and treat people where they are, on their doorstep or even in their home – taking the burden off under-pressure hospitals.

‘And funding these qualifications highlights the critical role social care nurses will play in this major shift in care out of hospital, as we build an NHS fit for the future.’

Nurses involved in the pilot will be trained to prescribe medications for people with a range of conditions, including cardiovascular disease, infections and end of life care.

If successful, the pilot, which is part of the government’s 10-year health plan, could see more social care nurses be routinely offered prescribing training to help in the delivery of neighbourhood health services.

Mr Streeting has previously said that neighbourhood health services could be led by nurses, as part of the government’s ‘three shifts’ from analogue to digital, hospital to community and sickness to prevention.

ICBs have been asked to apply for funding for the pilot through an Expression of Interest.

The chief nurse for adult social care in England, Professor Deborah Sturdy, said the pilot was a ‘crucial step’ for the profession.

‘By giving them the tools to prescribe, we’re recognising their clinical expertise and opening up new pathways for progression,’ she said.

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‘It’s about building a more skilled, confident workforce with a greater voice in how care is delivered — and ensuring nursing in social care is seen as a modern, rewarding, and valued career choice.’

The pilot has also been welcomed by Professor Claire Pryor, RCN Foundation chair in adult social care nursing at the University of Salford, who described the move as ‘an important step forward’ for social care.

‘Supporting continuing professional development (CPD) is not only essential for safe, high-quality care, it also helps attract and retain skilled nurses in a sector that is too often overlooked,’ she said.

‘There is an absolute need to ensure our registered nurses working in social care settings are recognised, supported, and developed throughout their careers as highly skilled, autonomous professionals, leading and shaping high quality care across the sector.’

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This month, the government also announced a new strategy to ‘embed’ adult social care placements in nursing degrees and encourage more nursing students to work in the sector.

It comes after Skills for Care last also launched a new nursing preceptorship programme to support the recruitment and retention of newly registered nurses and nursing associates in adult social care across England.

In January, the government announced its launch of an independent commission to ‘rebuild’ adult social care, although long-term reform is not expected before 2028.