Exclusion of practice nurses from ARRS to be ‘reviewed’

It comes as pressure has mounted in recent months to expand the roles eligible for the scheme, to support recruitment into multidisciplinary teams within general practice.

“You have made a clear ask to extend ARRS and we are going to deliver”

Wes Streeting

The ARRS, introduced in 2019, allows primary care networks to claim reimbursement for the salaries of certain roles.

The scheme currently funds the salaries of 17 roles, including advanced nurse practitioners, ‘enhanced nurses’, nursing associates, physician associates and dieticians.

General practice nurses (GPNs) remain excluded from the ARRS, despite repeated calls from primary care leaders to include them.

The Queen’s Nursing Institute was among those raising concerns, arguing earlier this year that the exclusion of GPNs in the scheme was leading to the role being devalued.

However, a primary care bulletin sent this week by NHS England confirmed that the exclusion of GPNs from the scheme would be looked at.

“Some nurses are already within the scheme, but it is recognised other nurses are not included and therefore this will be reviewed,” it said.

It follows the announcement earlier this week that GPs would be added to the ARRS, as part of an “emergency measure” to address the current challenges around GP recruitment.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it would provide ring-fenced funding of £82m from existing budgets to deliver the expansion.

In a letter addressed to GPs, the health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, said he was “determined to act immediately in the interests of patients” to address the GP recruitment challenge.

He noted that there had been a public petition this year to add practice nurses and GPs to the ARRS, which gained more than 11,000 signatures.

He said: “I am writing to you to say that I am listening, and I intend to add GPs to the ARRS scheme this year with additional funding.

“You have made a clear ask to extend ARRS and we are going to deliver.”

Mr Streeting acknowledged that some nurses were already a part of the scheme and that, for now, the government wanted to address “the specific challenge of GP employment”.

He added that the government would “keep the whole scheme under review”.

The announcement happened in the same week that the government said that GPNs would be eligible for the 6% pay rise put forward for GPs.

The pay rise comes as the government has accepted the recommendations of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) for 2024-25.