21 Mar 2023

AHP Critical Care Capability Framework Project Leads

Are you an AHP with substantial experience in critical care, seeking an opportunity to shape and deliver a national collaborative project?

The Intensive Care Society is delighted to partner with Health Education England (HEE) and NHS Elect to develop a robust capability framework for allied health professionals working in critical care. This work will build on the Society’s existing Intensive Care Society AHP Professional Development Framework and associated profession specific pillars.

HEE has committed to supporting the development of the AHP critical care workforce. There is a clear need for a harmonised approach to workforce training, to deliver care safely, while contributing to longer term goals of providing high quality learning environments and maximising workforce efficiency.

The Intensive Care Society in partnership with NHS Elect, HEE, NHS England, and relevant professional bodies have been commissioned to support the co-production of a comprehensive adult critical care AHP capability framework.

This new framework will include five AHP professions (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, operating department practitioners, and speech and language therapists) across seven levels of practice (supportive, assistive, novice, intermediate, enhanced, advanced and consultant).

There is also an aim to align this work to the enhanced apprenticeship standard, multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice and multi-professional consultant level practice framework. Outputs should enable development of AHP curricular guidance for critical care to provide future structured workforce development, improved AHP recruitment, and retention.

To deliver this project, we are seeking expressions of interests from physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, operating department practitioners, and speech and language therapists, to be considered for one the five AHP Professional Lead roles available. Successful candidates will receive funding from NHS Elect for a year-long secondment to release them two days per week to complete this work.

Any colleagues wishing to express interest in supporting this project should e-mail their EOI to learningnetwork@nhselect.org.uk by Tuesday 11 April 2023, including a CV and one page of A4 covering all the criteria as laid out in the below role profile.