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Advanced Practice (AP)

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Role Description

Advanced practice is a level of practice, rather than a type of practice, which encompasses 4 pillars: Clinical practice, facilitation of learning, leadership, and research. Advanced Practitioners (APs) or Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs) come from a range of clinical backgrounds such as nursing, pharmacy, paramedics, physiotherapists, and occupational therapist, although not limited to these roles.

The clinician should be educated to master’s level, and possesses expert clinical knowledge and skills, facilitating them to make autonomous decisions regarding patient assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.

What can an Advanced Practitioner offer to patients in a Primary Care setting?

  • Independently manage complete clinical episodes of care for patients with undifferentiated and undiagnosed conditions.
  • Identify red flags and underlying serious pathology and take appropriate action.
  • Utilise complex decision making to inform diagnosis, investigation, and treatments within a broad scope of practice.
  • Actively take a personalised and population centred approach to enable shared decision making with the patient.

Please click here to view the Community of Practice Flyer promoting online session organised by National Institute for Health and Care Research Kent, Surrey and Sussex Community Of Practice (NIHR KSS COP). Here is a link to the application.

Advanced Practice supported ePortfolio route

NHSE are taking expressions of interest for the next cohort to undertake The ePortfolio (supported) Route. Click here to access the Expression of Interest Form. This route has been specifically designed to enable recognition with the Centre for Advancing Practice of existing, experienced advanced practitioners, who at the time of the expression of interest, are working clinically in advanced practitioner roles on a regular basis and who have already completed their advanced practice experiential and educational learning mostly before 2017[2] when HEE’s Multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England was published.  Here is a link to the updated guidance documents FAQ’s for FCP’s in practice doing their roadmaps in primary care.

Registrable Qualification

An AP or ACP would have a registrable qualification from their initial graduate degree (profession specific):

Examples and not limited to:

  • Registered General Nurse
  • Qualified Paramedic
  • Clinical Pharmacist
  • Physiotherapist

Additional registrable post-qualifying qualifications may include Independent Prescribing.

Additional Qualifications Required for Advanced Practice in Primary Care

  • Completion of an MSc in Advanced Practice

Regulatory Body

Relevant regulatory body e.g. 

  • Nursing & Midwifery Health Council (NMC)
  • Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Supervision Requirements

  • Named clinical point of contact for day-to-day case discussion usually a GP.

What can the Training Hub offer you?

  • Access to full Advanced Practice pathway
  • Access to Advanced Practice Action Learning Sets
  • Access to online courses and workshops on various topics
  • Tools and resources for improving communication and professional skills
  • Best practices and guidelines
  • Networking opportunities with peers and other healthcare professionals
  • Continued education and professional development opportunities
  • Access to the latest research and information
  • If you wish to join the Advanced Clinical Practice teams channel for updates, please contact Surrey Traning Hub

Useful Resources

Primary and Community Care SPQ District Nursing PGDip | University of Surrey

Advanced Clinical Practice MSc masters course | University of Surrey

Advanced Clinical Practice MSc (brighton.ac.uk)

Training Hubs’ Strategic Guidance for Advancing Practice

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