Funding, expressions of interest and timelines

NHS England (NHSE) allocates the funding to support places nationally on the Graduate Diploma in Respiratory Science and the Post Graduate Certificate in Sleep Medicine. Employers can express an interest for these grants.

Successful examples of similar funding in Healthcare Science have been undertaken at levels 7, 4 and 2 via the commissioned level 7 Echocardiography Training Programme (ETP) and grants for levels 4 and 2 apprenticeships. The Echocardiography Training Programme was initially a pilot and is now an established training programme, with increased interest year on year from trainees and trusts/organisations keen to take trainees on board.

Funding model

• NHS England will pay tuition fees directly to Universities.
• NHS England will provide employers with a one off grant per trainee.

How to use the funding

The funding is intended to contribute towards the cost of developing and running the programme. The training grant may be used flexibly towards the cost of salary, infrastructure costs such as practice supervision and/or educational supervision or any other costs associated with the trainee successfully completing their programme. This includes reimbursing expenses incurred while attending in person elements of the course.

Expressions of interest process

Each year employers must register their interest in obtaining training grants for either or both diplomas. If more interest is expressed than can be funded, NHS England may need to prioritise. Principles would include:

• Ensuring different regions have fair access to grants in line with the population their serve.
• Spreading training grants fairly within regions.

2025 timelines