NHS England Teach and Treat Programme 2025/26

NHS England is investing in the future of community pharmacy by expanding the number of independent prescribers and cultivating the next generation of Designated Prescribing Practitioners (DPPs).

The aim of the Teach and Treat programme is to enable community pharmacists to train as independent prescribers in supervised clinical environments, working alongside locally identified multiprofessional DPPs. This approach ensures high-quality, hands-on learning that is embedded within real-world practice and aligned with local service needs.

What is the offer:

Individual organisations or collaborations of organisations across each NHS England region are invited to submit expressions of interest for funding of up to £100,000. Proposals should be based on an amount which demonstrates clear delivery plans aligned to the objectives of the programme. Please note that collaborative bids must identify a lead organisation, which will be responsible for receiving payments and maintaining project governance.

Following assessment, there may be scope to offer additional funding up to 20% to successful applicants to further strengthen delivery and the evidence base. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis and is not guaranteed.

This funding is intended to:

• Facilitate access to supervision
• Enable completion of Independent Prescribing (IP) training
• Support progression into active prescribing roles

While funding may contribute to supervision-related costs, the aim is to support the development of sustainable supervision models rather than solely covering Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) support. Applicants should consider how their proposals will build long-term capacity and infrastructure for supervision.

Note:

Successful bids are subject to NHS England Business Case Approval

How can I apply:

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have access to a clinical environment where NHS prescribing activity takes place, with a suitable scope of practice for community pharmacist prescribers
• Be able to source or have access to Designated Prescribing Practitioners (DPPs) to support community pharmacists through an IP course
• Commit to enrolling eligible community pharmacists onto an IP course by 31 March 2026
• Identify a Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) and appoint a Project Lead

Interested applicants must submit their proposal using the official Expression of Interest (EOI) form. A PDF copy of the questions is attached for reference. All submissions will be assessed against defined evaluation criteria to determine eligibility and funding allocation.

Timelines:

• EOI Opens: 1st September 2025
• EOI Closes: 6th October midday 2025
• Notification of Successful Bids: Starting from week commencing 27th October 2025

Find out more:

To support interested organisations, NHS England will host a drop-in stakeholder session offering guidance on the application process. In addition, case study stakeholder sessions will be held to showcase how the initiative has been successfully developed in the past and its impact on the community pharmacy workforce.