The Competence and Curriculum Framework for the Emergency Care Practitioner
Skills for Health have published the
Competence and Curriculum Framework for the Emergency Care Practitioner on behalf of the Department of Health. This document is the product of a public consultation which commenced on June 23rd 2006 and concluded on September 29th 2006. This consultation process has been overseen by a Strategy Group Chaired by Prof. Sir George Alberti (National Clinical Director for Emergency Access) and supported by a number of Reference Groups made up of key stakeholders.
The document has been developed using Skills for Health’s competency frameworks and aims to ensure consistency in ECP educational packages in order to allow for national transferability of the role. It gives valuable advice and timely guidance to commissioners and providers on how to effectively use and deploy ECPs. It also provides confirmation of the educational process that needs to be undertaken by Higher Education Institutions in order to successfully deliver qualified ECPs.
The development of Emergency Care Practitioners has demonstrated the benefits of competence-based role development which has led to improved outcomes for patients, service providers and staff alike. A flexible workforce and a flexible approach to skill mix – breaking down professional and traditional boundaries - is central to improving emergency care. This ensures patients receive the highest standard of care, by an appropriately trained person, at an appropriate time, in the most appropriate setting.
Skills for Health have also published a sister document entitled
Measuring the Benefits of the Emergency Care Practitioner on behalf of the Strategy Group which outlines the benefits of introducing the role to date.
An Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP) can be defined as a healthcare professional who works to a medical model, with the attitude, skills & knowledge base to deliver holistic care and treatment within the pre-hospital, primary & acute care settings with a broadly defined level of autonomy.
The introduction of ECP role has been formally evaluated by the School of Health and Related Research in Sheffield University. This evaluation was published in July 2005. The CWP published “The ECP Report – Right Skill, Right Time, Right Place” (October ‘04) which is available on the Department of Health website (www.dh.gov.uk).
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