Enhanced and advanced clinical practice in mammography reporting

Background: when, why and where it all began

It is no longer practicable in the modernised healthcare system for all decisions to be made by a doctor. The expansion of advanced clinical practice has progressed steadily since the start of the 21st century and is now a component of modern professional thinking. Regardless of the lack of a national strategy, similar patterns can be seen in the placement of advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) in practice. During the 1990s, the context of healthcare expanded politically, environmentally and professionally. The growing and ageing population, against a backdrop of rising healthcare costs, prompted the modernisation of the National Health Service (NHS) and resulted in The NHS Plan¹. The extension of professional boundaries and the full use of health professionals was specified. The emergence of ACPs in widening of scope of practice was motivated by these factors^...