NHS Study Leave and CPD Funding Explained

Study leave and CPD funding is a genuinely important topic for a huge number of NHS staff thinking about further qualifications or professional development, but the actual rules are fragmented — formal and well-documented for one group (doctors and dentists in training), and much more locally variable for everyone else. A lot of what's searchable online blurs the two together, or assumes what applies to doctors applies equally to all NHS staff, which isn't accurate. This guide draws that distinction clearly. It's independent guidance and isn't affiliated with the NHS, NHS England, DHSC, or any specific trust or deanery.

Two genuinely different systems, not one national policy

The most important thing to understand before looking at any specific figure is that "NHS study leave" isn't one single, uniform entitlement that applies the same way to everyone. There are effectively two different systems in play:

• ✓ Doctors and dentists in training and non-training grades — study leave here is most formally established, with dedicated study leave policies at most trusts, generally structured around training and revalidation requirements and coordinated alongside postgraduate deaneries and training programmes
• ✓ Agenda for Change (non-medical) staff — study leave and CPD support exists, but is typically governed by local trust policy rather than a single national framework, meaning the actual entitlement can vary significantly from one trust to another

If you're an AfC member of staff, it's worth being clear-eyed about this distinction: you shouldn't assume you automatically have the same formal, structured study leave entitlement that a doctor in training has, even if you work at the same trust. Your actual position depends on your own trust's local policy.

What study leave for doctors and dentists in training generally covers

Where a formal study leave policy is in place — most established for doctors and dentists in training and non-training grades — it generally covers activities that support maintaining professional registration and revalidation requirements:

• • Courses directly relevant to training or professional development
• • Conferences relevant to the individual's specialty or training programme
• • Exams required as part of training or professional progression
• • Other similar activities that support meeting professional registration and revalidation requirements

The exact structure — how much leave is available, how it's funded, and how requests are approved — depends on the specific trust's policy and, for doctors in training, coordination with the relevant postgraduate deanery or training programme, so the precise entitlement should be checked against your own current training programme documentation rather than assumed from a general description.

The commonly-cited funding figure: 50% up to £3,000

For staff considering postgraduate study directly related to their role — a job-related degree, a masters, or an externally accredited course — one general funding figure that's reasonably well-established and commonly cited is:

• ✓ NHS funding support of 50% of the cost of the course
• ✓ Up to a maximum of £3,000 a year

It's important to present this correctly: this is a commonly-cited level of support, not a universal, guaranteed entitlement that applies identically at every trust for every course. Whether it applies to your specific situation depends on your trust's or scheme's current policy, how directly your intended course relates to your role, and the funding actually available in a given year. Always confirm your own trust's or scheme's current position directly — through your line manager, your trust's learning and development team, or the specific funding scheme documentation — before budgeting around this figure.

How to actually access study leave or CPD funding

• ✓ Start with a conversation with your line manager about the specific course or activity and how it supports your role or development
• ✓ Check your trust's intranet or HR/learning and development pages for the current local policy on study leave and funding, particularly if you're AfC staff
• ✓ If you're a doctor or dentist in training, check with your training programme director or deanery for the specific study leave policy attached to your training programme
• ✓ Apply early where possible — funding for a given year is often finite, and approval processes can take time

If further study is part of a bigger move into a new NHS profession or specialism, our how-to-become guides cover the training routes themselves: nursing, medicine, midwifery, paramedic practice, pharmacy and physiotherapy.

Why you can rely on this page

• ✓ We draw a clear, honest distinction between the formal position for doctors/dentists in training and the locally-governed position for AfC staff, rather than blurring the two
• ✓ The 50%-up-to-£3,000 funding figure is presented explicitly as commonly-cited, not a universal guarantee
• ✓ We consistently point you to your own trust's or deanery's current policy as the authoritative source, rather than presenting a generic description as definitive
• ✓ This guide is independent and not affiliated with the NHS, NHS England, DHSC, or any specific trust or deanery

This guide is provided for general information only, is not affiliated with the NHS, NHS England, DHSC, or any specific trust or deanery, and is not careers or financial advice — for your own exact study leave entitlement and available funding, check your trust's current policy or, for doctors and dentists in training, your training programme director or deanery.

Frequently asked questions

Is NHS study leave the same entitlement for every member of staff? +

No, and this is the single most important thing to understand about this topic. Study leave and CPD funding is most formally established for doctors and dentists in training and non-training grades, with dedicated study leave policies at most trusts. For Agenda for Change (non-medical) staff, study leave and CPD support exists but is typically governed by local trust policy rather than one single national framework, and can vary significantly from trust to trust. Don't assume the two groups have the same formal entitlement.

What does a doctor's study leave typically cover? +

Dedicated study leave policies for doctors and dentists in training and non-training grades generally cover activities that maintain professional registration and revalidation requirements — commonly including courses, conferences, and exams and similar activities tied to training or continuing professional development. The exact scope, amount of leave, and funding available depends on the specific policy at each trust and the relevant training programme, so specifics should be checked against your own trust's or deanery's current policy.

Do Agenda for Change staff get formal study leave entitlement like doctors do? +

Not in the same standardised way. For AfC (non-medical) staff, study leave and CPD support exists, but it's typically governed by local trust policy rather than a single formalised national framework comparable to what's in place for doctors and dentists in training. That means the actual entitlement, funding, and process for AfC staff can vary significantly depending on which trust you work for, so it's important not to assume the same formal structure applies.

How much funding can I get for a job-related degree or masters? +

One general figure that's commonly cited for postgraduate study directly related to a role is NHS funding support of 50% of the cost, up to a maximum of £3,000 a year. This is presented as a commonly-cited level of support, not a universal guarantee — actual funding available depends on your specific trust's or scheme's current policy, your role, and how directly the course relates to your job, so confirm the current position with your own trust or funding scheme before relying on this figure.

Does the 50% up to £3,000 figure apply to any course, or only specific types of study? +

It's generally cited in the context of job-related degree or masters-level study, or externally accredited courses relevant to a role — not necessarily any course a member of staff might want to take. Whether a specific course qualifies, and at what level of funding, depends on your trust's or scheme's own criteria for what counts as sufficiently job-related, so check this against your own situation rather than assuming any course would qualify at this level.

Who decides whether my study leave or CPD funding request is approved? +

This is generally a local decision — for AfC staff in particular, since study leave and CPD support is governed by local trust policy, approval typically sits with your line manager and/or your trust's dedicated learning and development or education team, based on the trust's own policy and available budget for that year. For doctors and dentists in training, approval typically runs through the trust's medical education or postgraduate training structures alongside the relevant deanery or training programme.

Is study leave paid, or do I need to use annual leave? +

This depends on the specific policy and type of activity — dedicated study leave for doctors and dentists in training is generally treated as separate from annual leave, since it's built around specific training and revalidation requirements. For AfC staff, whether study leave is treated as paid time separate from annual leave depends on the local trust policy in place, so this is worth confirming directly with your trust rather than assuming either way.

Can I request study leave and CPD funding for something that isn't directly required for my current role? +

This varies by trust and scheme, and is generally more likely to be approved (and funded at a higher level) where the training clearly supports your current role, professional registration, or a clearly identified career development need agreed with your manager, rather than being unrelated personal interest study. If you're considering something not obviously tied to your current role, it's worth discussing it with your manager early, since approval and funding decisions are made locally.

Does study leave and CPD funding affect my pay or pension while I'm on leave? +

Where study leave is treated as paid leave under the relevant policy, your normal pay and pension contributions would generally continue as usual during that period, in the same way as other forms of paid leave. This isn't something to assume without checking, though — confirm with your trust's HR or payroll team how a specific period of study leave will be treated before relying on it, particularly for any leave that runs for an extended period.

Where do I find my own trust's actual study leave and CPD policy? +

Since this is governed locally rather than by one single national document (particularly for AfC staff), the right starting point is your own trust's intranet, HR or learning and development team, or — for doctors and dentists in training — your training programme director or deanery. This page explains the general shape of how study leave and CPD funding works nationally, but the specific policy that actually applies to you sits with your own trust or training programme.