Long acting reversible contraception (LARC) accreditation
Press release - 16 December 2009: RCN commits to long acting reversible contraception accreditation scheme
The RCN has announced that it would continue providing accreditation for nurses offering long acting reversible contraception (LARC).
The announcement follows an internal review which focused on finding a sustainable solution to providing LARC accreditation. LARC covers nurses fitting intrauterine techniques (IUTs) and subdermal contraceptive implants (SDIs). Through the internal review it became clear that the current costs of accreditation were not covered by the fee charged and, in effect, this service was being heavily subsidised by the RCN.
From 1 April 2010 the RCN will provide the accreditation at a cost of £300 for members and £400 for non-members. Re-accreditation will cost £150 for members and £200 for non-members. The deadline for processing applications for LARC accreditation at the current rate is 28 February 2010.
LARC accreditation
The RCN accredits nurses in the insertion and removal of subdermal contraceptive implants (SDI) and intrauterine techniques (IUT), both forms of LARC. If you work at a higher or specialist level within the area of contraception/sexual health and hold a recognised qualification in the specialty, our guidance publications provide information on how to acquire the clinical skills and competence you need to become accredited.
The guidance publications set out the training requirements needed to undertake this advanced role; these closely follow the training recommended for doctors by the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The RCN recommends you follow this guidance to ensure best practice and to protect the safety of women.
Before undertaking any training, you should clearly identify a clinical need for you to learn these skills. You should also be confident you would have enough women requesting this method of contraception for you to maintain competence in the procedures. In most cases this will mean you will be a nurse or midwife working at a higher or specialist level within the area of contraception/sexual health.
Applying for accreditation
Accreditation for nurses fitting and removing long-acting reversible contraceptives was suspended on 28 February 2010 and will recommence on 1 April 2010.
Although there may be old application packs in circulation, these will not be valid after 28 February 2010. All applications for accreditation from 1 April 2010 must be submitted on the new application forms which will be available here on 1 April 2010. After this date the cost of accreditation will be £300 for members and £400 for non-members, re-accreditation will be £150 for members and £200 for non-members.
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