The short answer
North West GP trainees can claim one SCA course, but there is a specific £500 ceiling to know about. RCGP-provided or accredited SCA courses are automatically approved up to £500 per trainee. Non-accredited courses are also considered, again capped at £500, but only after discussion with your TPD and the study leave team before booking. Fourteen Fish AKT and SCA packages are funded as a separate named line, including annual renewal.
How much you get
The North West policy's automatically approved Level I list includes an "RCGP-provided or accredited SCA course" at "One course attendance per RD to a maximum of £500" (NW School Study Leave Guidelines, March 2026). Non-accredited courses are handled separately: "Due to limited availability we will also consider requests for SCA and AKT courses that are not provided or accredited by the RCGP. These must be discussed with the TPD, and the Study Leave team before booking and will be limited to one course costing less than £500."
Fourteen Fish is treated as its own automatically approved line: "Fourteen fish AKT and SCA support" attracts "Funding for whole package per RD, including annual renewal", and unusually the policy confirms subscriptions are funded for the Fourteen Fish AKT and SCA Plus packages specifically.
Does it cover SCA prep courses?
Yes, but the £500 cap is the number that shapes everything. A course priced above £500 will not be fully funded unless something changes. That makes RCGP accreditation genuinely valuable in the North West: accredited courses clear the automatic-approval route cleanly, while non-accredited courses need pre-booking sign off from both TPD and study leave team and are held to the same £500 line. The North West is the one region whose policy states this flexibility outright, and the reason it gives is capacity: it will consider non-accredited courses "due to limited availability" of the RCGP option. In practice, if an RCGP-accredited course cannot take you before your sitting, that limited availability is exactly the ground the policy anticipates. Name the accredited course you tried, note that its places or dates did not fit, and put the non-accredited alternative to your TPD and study leave team before booking, within the £500 line. The general subscription rule still applies: subscriptions associated with an exam course are not funded, the Fourteen Fish packages being the specific carve-out.
Is the SCA exam fee itself reimbursed?
Not from the study budget: examination fees, e-portfolio costs and RCGP membership are explicitly excluded, though travel to exams can be claimed. Under the June 2026 resident doctor contract agreement, doctors in England can reclaim their first two SCA attempts for exams sat from 1 April 2026, through their employing trust. Details: Is the SCA exam fee reimbursed?.
How to claim
- For an accredited course, apply through Accent before booking; for a non-accredited course, discuss with your TPD and the study leave team before booking.
- Submit at least 6 weeks before the course start; approvals sought later need a justifying comment on Accent, and retrospective approval is likely to be declined.
- Course fees, accommodation and public transport can be claimed in advance; approved expenses must be claimed within 3 months of starting the course or signing up to a Fourteen Fish package.
NHS study budget
Most trainees can claim our Complete SCA Course on the NHS study budget.
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Deaneries decide locally
Most English deaneries fund one SCA preparation course (typically up to £600, code GP0001), but each applies its own rules: some fund two, some cap at £500, some run named lists, and the devolved nations differ again. Select your deanery above for the specific position, with the policy evidence quoted.
“National default: one preparation course per exam, up to £600 (GP0001)”