Transforming Roles paper 9 - allied health professions advanced practice: equality impact assessment

Executive summary

Transforming Roles Paper 09 provides national guidance to support the development and implementation of AHP advanced practice roles across Scotland. It establishes a national definition, standardised job title format and clear guidance to maximise the contribution of advanced practice roles. The paper was developed collaboratively with stakeholder input from the Scottish Government, NHS Education for Scotland (NES), NHS Boards, professional bodies and education providers.

The EQIA found that Transforming Roles Paper 09 is likely to have a positive impact across all protected characteristics by promoting clarity and consistency in the development of AHP advanced practice roles and ensuring that training pathways are competency-based, flexible and inclusive. It supports safe, effective, and person-centred care for service users while reducing workforce inequalities and geographical variation. Key recommendations include maintaining transparent, competency-based pathways, embedding accessible and flexible learning, and strengthening Scotland-specific data collection and monitoring.