Break from Practice of 2–3 Years

Practitioners who have been out of clinical practice for between two and three years must demonstrate that their clinical reasoning and case management skills remain current.

Requirements may include:

• Submission of two written case studies demonstrating appropriate case-taking, assessment and treatment planning
• Evidence of relevant continuing professional development (CPD) undertaken during the period out of practice.
• Review of cases by the ANP or a designated assessor.
• Practitioners are expected to complete the return to practice requirements within 3–6 months of approval of their return to practice plan.

Administrative review fee: £150

Break from Practice of 3–7 Years

Practitioners who have been out of clinical practice for between three and seven years will be required to undertake refresher training to ensure that their knowledge and clinical practice remain current.

Requirements may include:

• Completion of an approved refresher programme relevant to the practitioner’s modality.
• Evidence of updated professional practice knowledge, including areas such as clinicalgovernance, safety, and professional standards
• Completion of case-taking or clinical competency assessment
• Participation in supervised clinical observation, mentoring, or supervised consultations
• Practitioners are expected to complete the return to practice requirements within 6–12 months, depending on the scope of training and supervision required.

The ANP may recommend suitable training providers where appropriate.

Break from Practice for over 7 Years

Practitioners who have been out of clinical practice for over 7 years will normally be required to undertake substantial retraining before returning to practice. This may include:

• Repeating core elements of their original practitioner training, or
• Completing an equivalent accredited programme demonstrating competence in their modality.
• Practitioners are expected to complete the required retraining within 12–36 months, depending on the nature and extent of the training programme.

Where appropriate, recognition of prior learning (RPL) may be considered.

The ANP reserves the right to determine appropriate retraining requirements based on the practitioner’s previous qualifications and professional experience.