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HFMA members may be fully aware of the masters-level and first-year undergraduate-level qualifications now offered by the HFMA Academy for those interested in a further qualification in healthcare business and finance (see September and October 2018 issues of Healthcare Finance).

But how many also know that the association is also a major partner in a leading qualification aimed primarily at primary care and GP practice managers?

The Diploma in advanced primary care management was launched just over a year ago in October 2017 to cater for a demand from practitioners for developing the skills and competencies for managing primary care at scale. The demand is understandable, given the priority that’s being given to expanding primary care generally, and looking at different models for organising primary care resources in super-practices, federations and as part of new care model arrangements within integrated care systems.

The diploma is offered by the National Association of Primary Care in association with the HFMA and law firm Capsticks – but it is being delivered through the HFMA Academy.

Following on from the pilot intake in October 2017, there have been three further intakes. This means more than 160 students in total have started the course – with the first students having just submitted their final assessment last month. There are lots of practice managers in the student body, but also some general practitioners, managers from a broader primary care setting and those with a specific focus on transformation and integration.

The network of students with a specific focus on primary care is one of the major attractions of the qualification. Comments from a current student, GP practice business manager Kay Keane, underline this point. ‘I’ve met so many other brilliant NHS managers, those who are established in practices and those who wish to develop their skills, and those who currently work in other areas of primary care such as dentistry,’ she says.

‘This diploma has been a real leveller, we have all come together as novices and all helped each other in areas where we aren’t sure.  For me, that community and those friendships have been priceless and I know I have new friends to call on from across the NHS because of this course.’

The diploma consists of three modules all delivered through online tutored learning sets, workplace assignments and one national learning event and takes an estimated 600 hours to complete.

The three modules cover:

• Personal effectiveness and leadership

• NHS policy, law and governance

• Healthcare business and finance.

The whole course is delivered through the HFMA Academy and the leadership and finance modules were developed by the HFMA, with Capsticks leading on the law module.

Candidates successfully completing the diploma are eligible to take the HFMA healthcare business and finance advanced higher diploma, which itself opens up the possibility of entering a new MBA programme in healthcare finance, developed by BPP university.