Wales GP study budget: what it covers for the SCA

The short answer

GP trainees in Wales get a £600 study budget per training year, managed by HEIW, and Wales has two features that make it more generous than most: unused budget rolls over for one year to a maximum of £1,200, and subscriptions to GP CPD programmes are explicitly listed as acceptable use. So if you have carried budget forward, you may have up to £1,200 to put towards SCA preparation.

How much you get

The HEIW GP trainee study leave policy states: "Trainees are allocated a budget of £600 per training year." Unused personal budget rolls over: "HEIW now implements a roll-over arrangement of any unused personal Study Leave budget for one year only (up to a maximum of £600) into the subsequent training year", so "The Study Leave budget available in the next training year, following the roll over, will not exceed £1200." (HEIW GP Trainee Study Leave Policy, V4, March 2024). Rollover applies to funding only, and only for trainees staying in a Welsh programme.

Does it cover SCA prep courses?

Yes, and Wales is unusually accommodating on format. The policy's list of acceptable use includes "Courses and webinars that supplement areas of the GP Curriculum" and, notably, "Subscriptions to GP CPD Programmes e.g., Red Whale GP CPD". Wales is one of the few regions to name subscriptions as acceptable, which widens what you can claim compared with England. An SCA preparation course clearly qualifies as a curriculum-supplementing course. The budget cannot be used for exam fees, professional registrations, RCGP portfolio fees, books or equipment.

Is the SCA exam fee itself reimbursed?

Not from the study budget. Wales has run a separate incentive: the Welsh Government Universal Incentive Scheme allowed GP trainees recruited up to and including February 2023 to claim the first sitting of their AKT and RCA exams. Check whether a current equivalent applies to your cohort. The June 2026 England contract-agreement reimbursement applies to doctors in England, not Wales. Details on the England position: Is the SCA exam fee reimbursed?.

How to claim

1. Apply through Codi Leave Manager at least 6 weeks before the leave.
2. For online training, provide evidence of the course duration and cost with your application, and confirmation of time actually taken when you claim.
3. Claim reimbursement via the SEL e-expenses system after approval. Private study leave is capped at 5 days per training year and is unpaid.