Surgical Care Team Guidance
Our surgical care team guidance aims to help employers, surgeons and other healthcare professionals develop models of care that utilise the surgical care team in a consistent manner. It sets out distinct extended roles within the surgical team, and outlines competencies, training and clear routes of entry into these roles. The ultimate aim of this work is to enhance the quality of patient care, patient experience and patient safety, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of services, and to support the quality and experience of surgical training.
Read the guidance
You can read the Surgical Care Team Guidance Framework online by clicking next below, or by downloading the PDF. You can also access templates and resources for the clinical governance arrangements that help support a flexible modelling of the surgical care team that meets local needs.
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Templates and supporting resources
The templates and resources below are for hospitals to use and adapt as appropriate.
Business case template (editable PDF)
Surgical care team practitioner - job description template (editable PDF)
Surgical care team practitioner - practice plan template (editable PDF)
In addition to new guidance, we have launched a new membership category for members of the surgical care team. There are a wealth of benefits on offer for these roles and we are offering an introductory 50% discount on membership fees. Read more.
The Curriculum Framework for the Surgical Care Practitioner (2022)
The Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh began a combined project entitled ‘Supporting the Extended Surgical Team’ to reflect our commitment to the development of this group of the surgical workforce as their role is vital to the delivery of safe surgical care to patients.
Both colleges are totally committed to the inclusion of SCPs in the surgical team as their role is essential to meet the rapidly evolving changes in healthcare, working independently in the surgical team with appropriate supervision, and to complement the team’s workload to enable surgical trainees to have greater training opportunities, which are now more important than ever following the major adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The SCP has become well established in healthcare organisations and has been shown to:
- enhance the capability of the surgical team and develop professionally within the team
- support and enhance training opportunities for surgical trainees
- provide surgical services that complement the medically trained workforce
Further information and queries
You can get in touch with us by emailing PSD@rcseng.ac.uk
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