ACPs should have a scope of practice to 'safeguard doctor training', BMA says

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By Daniel Pye

Advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) have had a "significant impact on medical postgraduate training" and should have a national scope of practice, the British Medical Association has said.

At the BMA’s annual representative meeting (ARM), doctors voted for a motion which calls on the union to lobby for a “nationally agreed scope of practice".

This could provide training opportunities for ACPs as well as "as safeguarding training opportunities for doctors".

Speaking on behalf of the motion, Dr Melissa Ryan compared this scope to what already exists for allied health professionals.

She said: “This is not about the removal of ACPs, this is about real professional opportunities being lost.”

“I urge you to support the next generation of doctors coming forward,” she added.

According to NHS England, ACPs are healthcare professionals from backgrounds including nursing, pharmacy, paramedics and occupational therapy, educated to master’s level or equivalent. They work across all healthcare settings.