To scrub or not to scrub? That is the question.

The assistant theatre practitioner (ATP) is increasingly being developed across a range of healthcare settings to support the role of the registered practitioner (Skills for Health 2010). Where ATPs take on roles that were previously the domain of registered practitioners, it is essential that safety and quality of care is maintained. This article describes the experience within one acute hospital trust of implementing an assistant practitioner role in a theatre setting and sets out to answer the question--should assistant theatre practitioners be allowed to scrub?