Launch of the Surgical First Assistant (SFA) Position Statement

Published: 01 November 2012

On 1 November 2012, the Perioperative Care Collaborative (PCC) launched the Surgical First Assistant (SFA) Position Statement in response to a call from the Royal College of Surgeons, England (RCSEng, 2011) for greater clarity in relation to the wide range of titles currently in use by practitioners assisting in surgery.

The statement is also intended to address ongoing concerns surrounding the professional, ethical and legal boundaries associated with the title, role and responsibilities of the Advanced Scrub Practitioner (ASP).

The Position Statement (PCC 2012):

• renames the Advanced Scrub Practitioner (ASP) as the Surgical First Assistant (SFA)
• sets out key recommendations for Surgical First Assistant (SFA) role
• clarifies the concept of the dual role within the context of a clinical governance framework
• aims to clearly differentiate between the key practice responsibilities of the Scrub Practitioner and the Surgical First Assistant (SFA)
• highlights the specific responsibilities associated with the role of the Surgical Care Practitioner (SCP). 

It is also hoped that the document will support the development of a recognised career pathway from Scrub Practitioner to Surgical Care Practitioner (SCP).

The Surgical First Assistant (SFA) Position Statement can be found here (PDF 154KB)