Assistant practitioners: essential support in a climate of austerity: British Journal of Nursing

In Britain the last decade has witnessed the growth of the assistant practitioner (AP), a higher-level support worker role situated at band 4 of the NHS career framework, just below registered nurse. Various factors are given for the role's development but little analysis is provided as to the economic reasons for its implementation. With reference to the period since the economic crisis of 2007-08, this article proposes that the AP's implementation and function is influenced by the needs of the economy. With the UK Coalition Government refusing to increase public expenditure as it is thought detrimental to economic growth, emphasising instead the need to reduce public debt, an expansion of registered nurses is unlikely despite growing service user demand. As a result, the AP has become an important economic development in an attempt to maintain standards of nursing care in the present economic climate.