Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) Curriculum - Blog by Professor Matthew Grundy-Bowers
09 July 2026
(Last updated: 10 Jul 2026 11:54)
The Centre for Advancing Practice have recently endorsed the HIV and integrated sexual health advanced practice area specific capability and curriculum framework, which was produced by BASHH in collaboration with NHIVNA and CoSRH. In this blog post, Matthew Grundy-Bowers, BASHH’s Education Chair tells us more about the framework and its application.
Matthew, can you tell us a little bit about what this framework aims to do?
It is a national project that I have led since 2018. It is a collaborative project between the British Association for Sexual Health & HIV, The College of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare, and The National HIV Nurses Association. This is the third iteration of the framework. The first curriculum framework was launched in 2019 and revised in 2021 where it also received RCN and BHIVA endorsement.
Like other national curriculum and capability frameworks for ACP this framework is based on the medical curricula GUM/HIV and CSRH. This latest iteration brings it up to date and inline with the revisions in the medical curricula.
While the framework is multi-professional for all nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, healthcare scientists, psychologists, and pharmacists working as advanced practitioners in HIV/Integrated Sexual Health. It is particularly salient for nurses and midwives as the nursing and midwifery council as they work up the regulation of advanced practice.
What is advanced clinical practice?
Advanced practitioners in HIV and integrated sexual health are part of the multidisciplinary team and clinically manage and support patients with HIV, sexual infections and related conditions, and contraception. As senior clinical staff, advanced practitioners make a significant contribution to service provision and are expected to work across the four pillars of advanced clinical practice. As such, in addition to direct clinical care, they can participate and lead clinical education, audits, service evaluations and service improvements, and support and contribute to research studies.
Advanced practice is a level of practice characterised by a high degree of autonomy and designated responsibility for complex decision making. It is underpinned by a post-registration master’s level award (or equivalent) undertaken by an experienced practitioner that encompasses all four pillars of clinical practice, leadership and management, education, and research. It includes the analysis and synthesis of complex problems, and management of clinical risk and uncertainty across a range of settings, enabling innovative solutions to expedite access to care, optimise people’s experiences, and improve outcomes.
What does the framework include?
The framework is comprehensive and includes:
- A description of the level and scope for advanced practitioners in HIV and/or Integrated Sexual Health
- Eligibility criteria
- Duration of training
- The context of learning
- The capabilities in practice
- Teaching, learning and assessment methods
- Annual review
- Advanced Practitioner decision aid (practical procedures and level descriptors)
- Table of Presentations and Conditions of HIV and Integrated Sexual Health
- Table of HIV and Integrated Sexual Health Procedures
- Mapping of units of learning to each of the four countries advanced practice capabilities
- Mandatory, recommended and optional training
How might someone use the framework?
The aim of this capability and curriculum framework is to provide a clear and comprehensive guide to the expected level and breadth of practice for advanced practitioners (working in HIV and/or integrated sexual health). It has several objectives:
- to provide a standardised national structure that assists service leads, employers, and commissioners in the training and appointment of regulated healthcare professionals in advanced practice roles;
- to guide Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the design and delivery of their advanced practice education to meet workforce development needs;
- to support trainees and coordinating education supervisors.
The purpose of this capability and curriculum framework is to develop advanced practitioners who have specialty specific capabilities (core and generic clinical) and sub-specialty specific capabilities in HIV, integrated sexual health, or both. It enables individuals to evidence area specific competence, for example either for those undertaking a master’s level award, or in England if they are undertaking e-portfolio (digital badge) to gain national recognition as an advanced practitioner. This will enable advanced practitioners to be able to provide high quality, holistic, patient-centred clinical care within their subspecialty and their scope of practice, both as an individual practitioner and as part of the multi-disciplinary team.
Can the framework be used across all four nations of the UK?
Yes, absolutely. Each of the four nationals of the United Kingdom has developed their own guidance relating to advanced practice. In addition, the RCN and NMC have additional guidance for advanced practice which applies across the 4 nations. Although nuanced, these national and 4 nation guidance documents describe advanced practice as a level of practice which is characterised by complex decision making, high levels of autonomy and working across the four pillars or domains of clinical practice, leadership, education, and research. As such the framework has been mapped to the national and 4 nation guidance regarding advanced practice and describes the key capabilities.
I am aware of trainee Advanced Practitioners in HIV and Integrated Sexual Health from all four countries who have completed their training or are currently completing their training using the framework.
Finally, what is the Centre for Advancing Practice and what does their endorsement mean for the framework?
The document has been co-created by BASHH, CoSRH, and NHIVNA and is endorsed by BHIVA and the NHSE Centre for Advancing Practice. At the time of this blog we are also in the process of applying for RCN endorsement of the framework too.
The wide degree of organisations who have been involved in its development or endorsement is really important. It demonstrates the value that these organisations place on advanced practitioners and the speciality. It is essential for its widespread adoption across the speciality.