Surgical Advanced Practitioner Curriculum and Assessment Framework

Delivering high-quality, future-proof care will require workforce transformation with support through education, training and development.


Download Surgical Advanced Practitioner (SACP) Curriculum and Assessment Framework for care of the adult surgical patient

This advanced practice resource was commissioned by Health Education England, its development was also supported by HEE. It sets out the area-specific capabilities required for safe, effective advanced practice, while aligning with HEE’s advanced clinical practice capabilities.   

The resource is now being taken through the Centre for Advancing Practice’s new process for endorsement. It is already available for use by education providers to inform curriculum and programme design.

The development of the Surgical Advanced Clinical Practitioner (SACP) is driven by workforce transformation; to maintain surgical services in line with the changes in the surgical workforce and maintain safe and high-quality patient care.

Delivering high-quality, future-proof care will require workforce transformation with support through education, training and development. The NHS Constitution for England (2015) demonstrates a commitment to innovation and the development of new roles.

New roles and ways of working are one of many solutions to improve the current and future health and care of the population.

The development of advanced clinical practice reflects this commitment as an innovative NHS and private sector workforce solution to enhance capacity and deliver improved outcomes for surgical patients.

Demand for health and care services is growing as a result of a growing and ageing population and the ever-increasing possibilities of medical science. To meet that demand and deliver the vision set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, we will need more people working in the NHS over the next 10 years across most disciplines and in some new ones yet to be fully defined – with a rich diversity of roles and jobs across all settings.

NHS People plan, 2020

The principle driver for the implementation of advanced clinical practice is to enable practitioners to practice to their full capability and to optimise their contribution to meeting needs through different models of service delivery and multi-disciplinary working.