Dear Colleagues,
NHS England is pleased to invite you to submit your Commitment to Train for a Healthcare Scientist commencing in September 2027.
| Programme | Portal link to apply for commitment to train
|
Programme details |
| Scientist Training Programme (STP) | Healthcare Science 2027-2028 Scientist Training Programme (STP) - Request for Funding and Commitment to Train Submission - Online Surveys | Online surveys
|
Scientist Training Programme |
| Higher Specialist Scientist Training Programme (HSST) | Healthcare Science 2027-2028 Higher Specialist Scientist Training Programme (HSST) Request for Funding and Commitment to Train Submission - Online Surveys | Online surveys
|
Higher Specialist Scientist Training programme |
| Echocardiography Training Programme (ETP | Healthcare Science 2027-28 Echocardiography Training Programme (ETP) - Request for Funding and Commitment to Train Submission - Online Surveys | Online surveys | Echocardiography Training Programme |
The deadline for submissions is strictly enforced and is 30 September 2026 at 23:59.
Your submission will be used by NHS England to assess whether a request to host a trainee in 2027-2028 is supported. Please note that submission does not guarantee an offer of a training post or confirmation of funding. Training places on any funded course may be restricted by training capacity, cohort viability and budget approval.
Your submission is your organisation’s commitment to host and support a trainee in their respective healthcare science specialty through to completion of their training programme.
Please engage with your NHS England Healthcare Science Regional Lead and ICB colleagues ahead of your submission to ensure that all requests meet workforce needs and reflect the position that your organisation is able to deliver, while avoiding any potential underutilisation of training places.
On completing the submission, you will be asked to confirm that due diligence has been undertaken within your organisation’s senior leadership to ensure that internal approval processes have been followed and there is sufficient training capacity through to successful completion of the programme.
Current Funding Arrangements for 2027-2028
The current funding for all posts is set out below.
| Programme | STP | ETP | HSST |
| Duration | 3 years | 18 months | 5 years |
| Salary support | NHS England will provide salary support for each STP and ETP training post for the duration of the programme. This will be at the bottom of Band 6, confirmed Agenda for Change (AfC) rate, for the financial year, (plus on-costs). | N/A | |
| Training support | NHS England will provide £2,101 per training post, each year (pro-rata’d for ETP) for the duration of the programme, to support completion of the academic components of the training programme. The primary purpose of this funding is to enable the employer to support travel and accommodation expenses that might be incurred by the trainee whilst completing the academic components of the training programme. Funding cannot be utilised to fund specific elective modules or to procure IT equipment which should be provided to trainees by their employer to support any remote/home working requirements. NHS England reserves the right to audit expenditure for the training support. | N/A | |
| Tuition costs | Tuition costs are paid directly to the universities by NHS England. | ||
Sponsorship and Trainees from Overseas
It is important for all departments taking a trainee to be aware that it will be the employer's responsibility to work with a successful overseas applicant to support and sponsor the required visa applications, including the cost of sponsorship. Employers directly sponsoring trainee Clinical Scientists is consistent with other training programmes where the applicant is to train within the same organisation for the duration of the programme.
Further details of the process and costs are available in the guidance here:
Timeline for the 2027-2028 process:
| Date | Action |
| 06 August 2026 | Portal opens to receive your request for funding and commitment to train submission for September 2027 starters. |
| 30 September 2026 | Portal closes at 23:59. |
| 01 October 2026 | NHS England internal processes commence to determine posts to be supported and preparation for recruitment. |
| December 2026 | Subject to budget approval, NHS England aims to inform organisations of the outcome for 2027 posts through a confirmation of funding letter. NHS England recruitment processes commence. |
