T02 Current and proposed scope of practice — Worked example
2026 digital edition · Dr Naeem Aziz DGM FRCP · 2 min read
Hypothetical worked example
Read with chapter 2 and 4
Complete one record for a defined activity. Separate present practice from a proposal and record the source of corroboration. Scope applies to consultants and SAS doctors alike. Record breadth of work separately from authority to make and implement decisions.
Activity and setting
Regular ward review in the established service. The scope description concerns this activity and does not claim competence for every inpatient service.
Present responsibility
The doctor reviews information from patients and the team, formulates the plan within agreed scope, allocates follow-up and discusses cases needing additional expertise. The present rota and colleagues' accounts will be checked against this description.
Limits and support
Unfamiliar or complex issues beyond the agreed scope require discussion through the established senior advice arrangement. The agreement needs to name the actual contact, response arrangements and alternative during absence; the phrase consultant available is not sufficient.
Evidence
A role description and selected anonymised reflective records describe the activity. Feedback is requested from a consultant who has reviewed the work and a nurse who has observed communication and coordination. Each is asked to state what they can and cannot verify.
Proposed change
No increase in clinical scope is proposed at this stage. The immediate request is to reconcile written duties with actual responsibility and clarify progression options.
Review
The doctor takes the draft to the clinical director and supporting clinician. Differences between their accounts will be recorded and resolved where possible. This completed example is illustrative, not a signed scope agreement.