First contact practitioners

First contact practitioners (FCPs) are a recent addition to the Primary Care workforce. With their experience and training, they can see patients with undiagnosed and undifferentiated conditions, thereby reducing demand on other Primary Care clinicians. 

What is an FCP?

FCPs are regulated healthcare professionals that have undertaken additional training and experience within a specified scope of practice (musculoskeletal, dietetics etc) to be able to safely provide the first point of contact and assessment for defined groups of patients and presentations as aligned to their area of experience and training.

Allied health professionals (AHPs) who typically work in FCP roles include dietitians, occupational therapists, paramedics, physiotherapists and podiatrists.

Practitioners in FCP roles support patients to get faster access to the right care without necessarily needing a referral from a GP. Practitioners in these roles work as part of the multi-professional team with appropriate clinical supervision and governance in place.

FCP training programmes

In 2022, NHS England Primary and Integrated Care team led a procurement exercise to support the FCP programme, aiming to increase consistency across regions.

As part of this exercise, three key areas were identified as requirements to ensure appropriate support and robust governance for FCP learners:

  • FCP portfolio route: delivery and management of this route, including development and use of an e-portfolio system for learners to upload reflections and evidence for sign-off. Evidence of successful completion to be issued by the relevant education provider
  • FCP taught route: commissioning of learner places on education modules, to complete Stage 1 and / or Stage 2 of the FCP taught route as identified through the LNA, including development and use of an e-portfolio system for learners to upload reflections and evidence for sign-off. Evidence of successful completion to be issued by the relevant education provider
  • Learning needs analysis (LNA): to ensure all learners complete all aspects needed to work in an FCP role

FCP education and training that has been nationally commissioned, meets agreed standards providing AHPs with the framework to demonstrate skills and knowledge needed to practice safely and effectively in a FCP role in Primary Care.

All registered healthcare professionals are accountable for their practice. The FCP programmes support AHPs moving into Primary Care to engage with relevant continuing professional development and supervisory activity, supporting them to maintain their skills and knowledge and to re-enforce their need to act within their scope of practice and governance framework.

As the independent regulator for health and social care in England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will look for evidence that employers have systems in place to recruit staff appropriately. For employers that recruit AHPs in FCP roles, the CQC expect to see evidence of completion or plans for completion of FCP education and training. 

The FCP Roadmaps to Practice were written as guidance documents which set out nationally agreed education and training standards for AHPs moving into FCP roles in Primary Care. They described the educational supervision and governance to safely support practitioners through the process.

They have now been replaced by the commissioned FCP education and training programmes.

How to apply

To enrol on an FCP programme, apply via your preferred Higher Education Institute (HEI), and complete their LNA. The HEI will determine if you are suitable for the taught or portfolio route.

Browse the list of HEIs offering FCP programmes on the NHS England education providers of FCP training webpage.

Please note there are both funded and non-funded opportunities available. All providers offer both the taught and portfolio routes.

Route to advanced practice (AP)

Practitioners working in FCP roles, that have successfully completed FCP Stages 1 and 2, and, who want to train to become an AP, are expected to complete an accredited master’s programme, to meet the requirements of the multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England.  

Recognition of prior learning is at the discretion of each education provider, we therefore recommend you contact your preferred HEI to discuss this in more detail.

Supervision of FCP learners

Clinical and educational supervisors have an integral role to support learners through the process and to provide assurance that the practitioner has demonstrated the knowledge, skills and attributes required to work in a FCP role in Primary Care.

Supervisor training

There are not currently FCP supervisor courses available in our region, please liaise with your FCP learners HEI directly to determine if they have any additional supervisory requirements.

Supervision requirements by profession

Allied health professionals

AHP supervisors should be working as consultant practitioners, advanced practitioners, or have completed Stage 2 of the FCP programme, and have previously attended roadmap supervisor trainer (two-day course) or:

  • Be a minimum of three years post-registration in their professional speciality area of practice, including one year working in Primary Care
  • Be in good standing with the Health and Care Professions Council
  • Be practising in the area they are supervising
  • Be working in (or working towards) an approved PCN learning environment

The following resources are available to support your development as an educator:

General practitioners

GP supervisors should:

  • Be two years post-CCT
  • Be in good standing with the General Medical Council and NHS England
  • Be working in (or working towards) an approved PCN learning environment
  • Complete a GP clinical supervisors course

Please note the clinical supervisor courses are the same GPs attend to supervise some doctors in training, and you will therefore be screened on application for some pre-requisite information. If you do not meet these pre-requisites, you will still be invited to attend the course and may supervise the wider workforce as appropriate, but will not be invited to accredit with Thames Valley Wessex GP school to supervise doctors in training. 

For further details please visit the Thames Valley GP School webpages or Wessex GP School webpages.

Registered nurses

Nurse supervisors should be working as consultant practitioners, advanced practitioners, or have evidence of study at Level 7 in a relevant topic, and have previously attended roadmap supervisor trainer (two-day course) or:

  • Be a minimum of three years post-registration, including one year working in Primary Care
  • Be in good standing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
  • Be working in (or working towards) an approved PCN learning environment
  • Have completed an NMC practice assessor preparation programme and have prior experience as a practice supervisor, mentor/sign off mentor or practice teacher

The following resources are available to support your development as an educator:

Thames Valley community of practice (CoP) for FCP

We are pleased to share dates of CoP sessions for all FCPs working within Thames Valley (BOB and Frimley), and their supervisors. The format of the online sessions will be Q&A but will include any FCP related topic:

Explore other offers

Apply for advanced practice workforce development funding