Post Registration Clinical Management Education

Procurement reference

CAV-DIR (25-26) 86

Procurement description

The Health Board is committed to supporting the development of a highly skilled workforce capable of delivering safe, effective, and advanced patient care. As part of this commitment, the Health Board is seeking to secure high-quality post-registration academic education that aligns with clinical service needs and supports staff progression into enhanced, advanced practice and consultant level practice.

The programme includes tailored clinical assessment modules such as generic, paediatric-specific, advanced assessment, and minor illness and incorporates non-medical prescribing. Learners on the Advanced Clinical

Practitioner (ACP) route can complete a 60-credit advanced practice portfolio as a dissertation, aligning academic learning with clinical competencies. For those pursuing alternative professional pathways, a work-based project dissertation provides a relevant and practical alternative, broadening the programme’s applicability across the wider workforce.

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)

Cardiff University

Procedure type

Direct award

Description of how these justifications apply

The proposed contract with Cardiff University will be awarded via direct award under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023, Schedule 5, Section 7 (a)(b) - Additional or Repeat Goods, Services or Works.

A change of provider at this stage would disrupt clinical workforce development plans and create significant operational challenges. Many learners are mid-way through Cardiff University’s MSc programmes or have accumulated credits through standalone modules that are uniquely structured in 30-credit blocks, making the university the only institution locally able to integrate those credits into a full MSc. Transferring to another provider would risk the loss of those credits, duplicate learning, delay qualification timelines, and introduce unnecessary additional costs.

Direct award justification

Additional repeat extension partial replacement

Description of risks to contract performance

Future funding continuity for postgraduate education remains uncertain beyond this proposed contract and is subject to national workforce planning and budget allocation cycles. The evolving nature of clinical roles, regulatory

requirements, and professional accreditation standards may also influence programme content and participation over time.

Unexpected developments such as shifts in national education policy, changes in Higher Education delivery models, or broader system pressures (e.g. staffing crises, public health emergencies) could impact programme

accessibility or relevance in ways not currently anticipated.

There is a well-established need for advanced clinical education to meet service demands, retain skilled staff, and support leadership development. The current cohort of learners requires uninterrupted access to Cardiff University programmes to complete qualifications already underway.