A First Contact Practitioner (FCP) is a diagnostic clinician working in Primary Care at the top of their clinical scope of practice at Masters level. This allows the FCP to assess and manage undifferentiated and undiagnosed conditions.
Dietitians working towards First Contact Practitioner status will be at indicative Agenda for Change Band 7 or equivalent and above. They should have at least five years of postgraduate experience, including at least three years of postgraduate experience in their professional specialty area of practice before starting Primary Care training to become an FCP.
Dietitians may be termed First Contact Practitioners (FCP) or First Contact Dietitians (FCD). These terms should only be used following a period of primary care specific training and assessment, as outlined in Health Education England's profession specific roadmap, First Contact Practitioners and Advanced Practitioners in Primary Care: (Dietitian) A Roadmap to Practice
Following successful assessment against HEEs profession specific roadmap, the dietitian will receive recognition from HEE, in the form of a digital badge, that allows them to use the term FCP (or FCD).
For more information regarding the profession specific roadmaps and digital badges, please refer to HEE here.