Joint statement: ACCPs to formally align with the Centre for Advancing Practice

Health Education England (HEE) and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM) have agreed that the role of Advanced Critical Care Practitioners (ACCPs) will cease to fall under the scope of the Medical Associate Professions (MAP) and will instead be formally aligned with the Centre for Advancing Practice.

In December 2021, FICM polled the ACCP community (fully trained, registered, and ACCPs in training, as well as the wider community via the National Association of ACCPs) around the future direction for the role. 77% of respondents clearly supported the feeling that active involvement in the MAP agenda has become increasingly less applicable for ACCPs. This tallied with the view of the FICM ACCP Sub-Committee and the MAP Oversight Board.

Professor Liz Hughes MBE, HEE Deputy Medical Director and Co-Chair of MAP Oversight Board, said:

“We thank FICM for their input and involvement with the work of the MAPs Oversight Board to date, and for providing valuable insight and evidence to demonstrate the ACCP position. We can now turn our attention to collaboratively working with FICM to explore the possibilities for alternative direct-entry MAP roles within critical care.”

Beverley Harden, HEE Multi-professional Advanced and Consultant Practice Lead, said:

“It is fabulous to see our valued ACCP workforce benefit from the training and education opportunities afforded by the Advanced Practice agenda to date. We welcome the chance to work with FICM and across services to further support the expansion of ACCP training in England.”

Ms Carole Boulanger, ACCP and co-Chair of the FICM ACCP Sub-Committee, said:

“We would like to sincerely thank the MAP Oversight Board for its consideration of the ACCP role to date and acknowledge the positive impact being involved has had on crystallising the ACCP role. However, it is clear in the current climate that the two agendas are increasingly less aligned, and we do not want to hinder progress of the other groups. We wish every success for the MAP programme and its future endeavours and commit to providing support and advice going forwards in relation to critical care.”

Both FICM and HEE have found collaboration to date on the MAP agenda mutually beneficial. FICM ACCP representatives will remain as corresponding members of the MAP Oversight Board and have agreed to work on any future MAP-related developments in the critical care workforce in partnership.