First Contact Practitioners are experienced paramedics who have developed specialist skills to work within GP practices. They assess and treat patients with urgent care needs, helping to reduce GP workload by managing conditions such as minor illnesses, infections, musculoskeletal problems and minor injuries. By working as part of the integrated care team, FCPs ensure patients see the right clinician at the right time, improving access to care and patient outcomes.

Implementation of the FCP role brings significant benefits to primary care. It reduces pressure on GPs by providing expert urgent care within the practice setting. The role introduces valuable emergency care expertise into primary care, while creating sustainable workforce development opportunities. This ultimately improves patient access to appropriate clinical expertise and enhances multidisciplinary team working.

For paramedics employed through ARRS funding, completing the FCP roadmap is a mandatory requirement. This should typically be achieved within 6-12 months of starting the role. This requirement ensures consistent high standards of care across primary care settings and supports the development of a skilled workforce.

• Stage 1 (Knowledge, Skills & Attributes + e-learning modules) is mandatory and must be completed before entering primary care.
• Stage 2 (Portfolio of evidence in practice, demonstrating application of KSA in primary care) is also mandatory and must be completed within approximately 6-12 months of employment.

Once Stages 1 and 2 are completed and verified, the practitioner is placed on the FCP directory at the Centre for Advancing Practice.

For progression to Advanced Practitioner status, there are then two pathways:

• The FCP to AP route: Building additional evidence through a portfolio approach to demonstrate capability across all four pillars of advanced practice
• The MSc route: Completing a taught MSc in Advanced Practice that covers the required advanced practice competencies

For ARRS-funded paramedics specifically, page 31 states that “CQC will expect to see evidence or assurance that staff recruited into FCP roles have completed stage 1 of the roadmap. We will also expect arrangements for completion of stage 2 of the roadmap.

Yes, the FCP to AP Roadmap does mention pre-requisites regarding length of paramedic service for the FCP roadmap. According to the document:

HEE Primary Care training begins typically at a minimum of three years post-registration experience in a clinician’s professional role in the area where they will be practicing in Primary Care.

The clinician must typically have 3-5 years post preceptorship experience before starting primary care training to become an FCP.

For ARRS employed paramedics, the requirement is more specific: “4 + years Post Qualified (A combined 2 yrs as a Band 5 Newly Qualified Paramedic and 2 years as Band 6 paramedic)”

For independently employed paramedics (outside ARRS), it states: “3 + years Post Qualified”

The career progression path shows that paramedics should have at least 3 years minimum experience at Band 6 and need to complete KSA e-learning stage 1 before starting in primary care.

These requirements ensure that paramedics have sufficient clinical experience before undertaking the FCP role in primary care, which deals with undifferentiated presentations and requires significant clinical expertise.

If you’re NOT employed in an ARRS role (i.e., you’re independently employed), the FCP to AP roadmap is not mandatory but is still beneficial and recommended. Here’s why:

• No deadline to complete the FCP portfolio (but expected to complete within 6-12 months of starting employment)”
• It is recommended that all paramedics working within primary care complete the NHS England FCP roadmap
• The CQC section emphasises that providers are accountable for staff delivering regulated activity, regardless of employment route, suggesting that demonstrating competence through a recognized pathway is good practice for clinical governance.

The roadmap provides a structured way to develop and demonstrate the competencies needed for the primary care environment, which benefits your professional development and ensures patient safety, regardless of how you’re employed. It’s also valuable if you might transition to an ARRS role in the future or seek advanced practitioner status.