Nurses, midwives and health visitors who want to return to the profession have much to offer patients, employers and society and returning has never been easier. There are courses and training on hand to ease the transition and build your skills and confidence. And for employers there are many resources to help you support returners back into the workplace.
Nurse, midwife or health visitor interested in returning?
Take a look at the information on the Health Careers website where we hope you'll find what you need whether you're a nurse, midwife or health visitor looking to return. There are contact details for regional return to practice leads there too so you can get in touch if you need additional guidance.
You may also want to look at the Government's top tips for returning to work after a break.
And if you are still registered but have had a break in clinical practice, you may find the online back to the floor programme is just what you need to return with confidence.
Haven't been able to find what you were looking for or have further questions? Take a look at our FAQs.
Employer wanting to support nurses, midwives or health visitors back into their professions?
What funding is available in 2025/26?
Traditional return to practice (RtP) funding support (per returner)
- return to practice programme - £1,748
- placement fee - £586
- stipend - £1,175
- total: £3,509 (This does not include London weighting. The cost per returner is higher.)
Employer-led model programme funding support (per returner)
- return to practice programme - £1,748
- placement fee - £1,761
- stipend - n/a
- total: £3,509 (This doesn't include London weighting. The cost per returner is higher.)
Test of competence (per returner)
- computer based test - £83
- objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) - £794
- 1 x resit - £397
- total: £1,274
Back to the floor nursing and midwifery
- £500 placement fee (per returner) for any employer supporting a nurse/midwife with an active registration to return to clinical practice via the back to the floor midwifery/nurse programme. This fee supports induction/supernumerary costs.
Funding will be transferred to the trust via the Education Funding Agreement, upon appointment of the nurse/midwife. Trusts are asked to notify the national return to practice team so arrangements can be made to transfer the funding: england.returntopractice.wm@nhs.net.
The NMC test of competence
The ToC provides a quicker way to return to practice compared to the established routes.
The ToC is made up of two parts:
- a multiple-choice CBT
- a practical test known as the OSCE
Individuals can arrange themselves to sit the ToC for which they will be required to pay a fee, this fee can then be claimed back from NHS England Workforce, Training and Education (NHSE WT&E) once the individual has returned to the register and is in NHS employment. Employers can also be reimbursed by contacting their regional return to practice lead and completing this form.
Individuals can apply to sit the ToC through the NMC website, where they will also find lots of preparation materials and essential reading to help with revision for the test. If you would like to find out more, please feel free to contact us via email.
Some organisations are recruiting individuals who wish to return to the nursing register as a support role. They are put through the ToC and then deployed into a nursing role within the organisations.
Campaign toolkit
To help you recruit former nurses, midwives and health visitors we have created a toolkit of films, imagery, posters and leaflets.
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If you are an employer supporting midwifery returners we have some resources to help navigate the training and supervisory requirements:
Overview of requirements for supervising and assessing midwifery RTP students
Newborn and infant physical examination training requirements
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If you are an employer supporting nursing returners we have some resources to help navigate the training and supervisory requirements:
Supporting and assessing practice for return to practice nursing students
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If you are an employer supporting health visiting returners, you can find return to practice courses on the Health Careers website.
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The Government's student adjustments planner
Accessing disability support – a toolkit for health professionals and learners
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The NHS Health Careers service has a helpline with trained advisers who can help signpost returners to online information and regional return to practice leads. If you're interested in finding out more about returning to your profession you can register for helpful emails.
Nursing and Midwifery Council website
Health and Care Professions Council website
NHS Employers website
Regional Return to Practice leads: contact information can be found on the NHS Health Careers website under 'Regional contacts'.
Reading recommendation: Wray R and Kitson M (2023) returning to nursing practice: Confidence and competence. Wiley-Blackwell.