ACCP Training

ACCPs must complete a programme leading to an appropriate Postgraduate Masters degree with a Higher Education Institution. Teaching within hospitals is overseen by a Local Clinical Lead (LCL) who holds an honorary appointment with the HEI and is responsible to the HEI for the delivery of the clinical components of training. 

If you think that ACCP training might be for you and would like further information check out our ACCP Careers Stories.

Who can train as an ACCP?

Any UK registered professional can train as an ACCP. The majority of registered ACCPs are nurses but other Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) such physiotherapists and Paramedics have also successfully trained as ACCPs. It is also envisaged that in future, Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs), Physicians Associates (PAs) and Anaesthesia Associates (AAs), when their regulating bodies allow independent prescribing, would be able to complete ACCP training and achieve FICM ACCP Member status.

Where can you train as an ACCP?

The ACCP curriculum mandates a parallel of academic and clinical practice training in existing UK training centres approved for Stage 1 and 2 ICM level training or for those sites with clear and documented approval from the regions ICM RA. If a trainee ACCP undertakes training on a site without this approval in place, those trainees would not be eligible for any official Faculty recognition of that training, nor to apply for FICM Advanced Critical Care Practitioner Membership upon completion of their ACCP training programme. Any non-ICM training approved unit seeking to run ACCP training must make this prospectively clear to any applicants for their programme.

The Faculty runs an HEI Accreditation programme and a list of FICM Accredited HEIs can be found here. Applicants undertaking training at an accredited HEI will be allowed to register as FICM ACCP members on successful completion of the course and satisfactory completion of their clinical competencies.

Ensure your ACCP training programme is appropriate

We know that the term ACCP has been wrongly used to include any practitioner position regardless of the length, depth and quality of training. Ensure that the training programme you are undertaking complies with the tenets laid out within the FICM curriculum.  Be proactive and ask the local trainers whether the training programme and unit adheres to the FICM curriculum and whether it will leave you eligible upon completion to apply for FICM ACCP Membership. If you have any concerns please contact us for advice.

Training programmes that adhere to the FICM ACCP Curriculum should be designated as ‘Advanced Critical Care Practitioner training in line with the FICM Curriculum.’ It should be noted in the material that those who complete the full training programme would be eligible for Advanced Critical Care Practitioner Membership of the Faculty. 

ACCP Training Units

How do I train ACCPs on my unit?

If you are a unit accepting Stage 1 and 2 trainees for ICM training, or a unit with the support and sign off of your ICM Regional Advisor, training ACCPs would involve:

• Engagement with a local HEI to run an ACCP PGDip course (MSc in future).
• Engagement of key stakeholders in our organisation to assess the possibility of the ACCP role being a viable workforce solution for your unit.
• Plan the end point of training - most, if not all, ACCPs take a position on the medical rota. Be clear how this will work including supervision requirements.
• Business case development - early involvement of your divisional  managers and repeated "marketing" of the planned ACCP role in your strategic,  financial and workforce planning. Getting the Medical and Nursing Directors on board early is key.

The ACCP sub committee has produced Advice for employing ACCPs as part of a Critical Care Team as a quick check guide of things to consider when employing ACCPs in a critical care unit.

Training Unit approval pathway

• The FICM Regional Advisor (RA) must approve training for ACCPs in the relevant unit. 
• The RA should forward successful and unsuccessful applications to the FICM ACCP Sub-Committee for ongoing oversight and acknowledgement.

The RA should use the FICM ACCP Training Unit Approval Form to assess the unit’s suitability and once completed, send a copy to the FICM (contact@ficm.ac.uk).

To be approved as an ACCP Training Unit, the following aspects of organisation, environment and ethos towards training are required, and should be verified during the application process:

• Compliance with the regulations and recommendations of the relevant national Departments of Health, NMC, HPC and the FICM.
• Nominated ICM Consultant Lead for ACCPs with oversight to support trainers and ACCP trainees to engage in current training requirements. There should be formal links with an appropriate HEI providing the academic elements.  
• Named Educational Supervisor for each trainee ACCP to mentor progress and provide pastoral support. Depending on the size of Unit and numbers of Trainee ACCPs, this may be the Consultant Lead.
• The unit would be expected to be recognised for at least core level ICM training (by FICM and Statutory Education Bodies (SEBs)).
• A Unit with sufficient clinical activity to deliver the ACCP training syllabus and meet the curriculum requirements. 
• Where this is not possible in a single ICU, alliance with a larger allied teaching hospital/DGH or tertiary centre, in a hub and spoke model, is proposed. The duration of attachments and supervisory structure may need to be addressed on an individual basis.
• FFICM consultants should staff the unit as per GPICS standards. Where this may not be possible, out of hours cover for small and rural units arrangements for appropriate consultant support as detailed in the GPICS chapter on smaller remote and rural units should be in place. 
• The recognised national standards, ethos and enthusiasm of the unit to embrace training is of paramount importance.
• Sufficient training opportunities for all trainees (ACCPs and doctors in training) allocated to the unit at any one time must be maintained.
• Sufficient clinical supervision such that every ACCP in training can be responsible to a nominated consultant at all times. The consultant must be available to advise and assist them as appropriate.
• Consistent positive feedback from the GMC National Training Survey, and local training feedback surveys. Where poor feedback is received, the RA with the support of the FICM ACCP Sub-Committee will review ongoing eligibility as a training unit for ACCPs.

Additional Considerations

It is recognised that some units are critical care units i.e. a flexible mix of ICU and HDU patients. In these situations, the average Level 3 occupancy should be related to bed numbers. Similarly, many units have adjacent ICU and HDU facilities, covered by the same medical staff. Here a similar calculation could be applied. Geographically separate units, for example separated by several floors or considerable horizontal distance of more than a few yards, should not be normally regarded as one unit. 

Please see the Guidance for ICM Training Units for more.

Trainee ACCP Registration

All ACCPs in training are requested to register with the Faculty so we can keep you up to date of any useful developments and start to monitor the ACCP workforce.

Please note that is does not automatically mean that you will be accepted as an ACCP Member of the Faculty.

Any individual beginning an ACCP training programme from 5 November 2017 which does not meet the FICM specification for ACCP training (details of which can be found on the ACCP Curriculum page) will not be eligible to apply for FICM ACCP Membership.

It is the responsibility of the individual seeking FICM ACCP Membership and the hospital trust providing their training to ensure trainee ACCPs undertake FICM recognised training.

Previous relevant course modules

In conjunction with the HEI the APEL process where appropriate to the ACCP programme can be used.

Transferring overseas qualifications

There is no formal route for this; currently the ACCP role is very clearly defined by the curriculum, benchmarking against overseas practice given the wide variation would require local ICU / HEI review and UK module and clinical competencies completion. Application for FICM Advanced Critical Care Practitioner Membership would be only possible based on successful matching of these.

ACCP Induction Framework 

Trainee Advanced Critical Care Practitioner induction pathway

This document has been developed by trainee and qualified Advanced Critical Care Practitioners with the support of The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine ACCP sub-committee (FICMASC), ACCP clinical leads and University representatives. The rationale behind this project was based upon a recognised need to standardise the approach to the induction process.