Evaluation of the Advanced Practitioner Roles

Abstract

In February 2008 Skills for Health, in partnership with NHS West Midlands, commissioned the Institute for Employment Studies to undertake a national evaluation of five Advanced Practitioner roles introduced under the New Practitioner Programme. The research involved a review to identify appropriate measures to use in the evaluation; a survey of sites at which Advanced Practitioners were employed and, for comparison, a similar survey of sites without these roles; and case studies of implementation sites. Although great care had been taken in designing the survey documents, there was a low response rate, therefore the data from the survey should be treated with caution. The report is based on a combination of evidence gained through the survey and richer qualitative data gathered during the four case study visits