The Role
Advanced level practice isn’t a specific role. Advanced Clinical Practice transcends a wide range of professional groups to ensure population health needs are met. Advanced Clinical Practitioners provide complete episodes of care for patients of any age with a wide variety and range of presenting problems and health care needs. Advanced Clinical Practitioners provide evidence-based, high-quality care for patients throughout their health and social care journey, enabling capacity, capability, productivity and efficiency within the system (NHS England 2019).
Advanced Clinical Practice is delivered by experienced, registered health care practitioners. It is a level of practice characterised by a high degree of autonomy and complex decision making. This is underpinned by a master’s level award or equivalent that encompasses the four pillars of clinical practice, leadership and management, education, and research, with demonstration of area specific clinical competence. Advanced Clinical Practitioners come from a range of professional backgrounds such as Nursing, Pharmacy and Allied Health Professionals.
Benefits for the Practice
- Highly skilled professionals able to provide complete episodes of care
- Screen patients for disease risk factors and early signs of illness
- Order necessary investigations, and providing treatment and care both individually, as part of a team, and through referral to other agencies
- Have the authority to admit or discharge patients from their caseload, and refer patients to other health care providers as appropriate
Benefits for the Patient
- Receive patients with undifferentiated and undiagnosed problems and assessing their health care needs, based on highly developed clinical knowledge and skills, including skills not usually exercised by registered healthcare professionals, such as physical examination
- Have a supportive role in helping people to manage and live with illness
- Providing quicker access to appointments and care
Training & Development
Advanced Clinical Practitioners undergo a 3-year training programme and are educated at Master’s Level. They will need to achieve sufficient competence in their clinical practice.
