Boundaries between different healthcare professionals are rapidly being emded by documents such as the New Deal and the Scope of Professional Practice. In this article, the author outlines the progress being made in one trust and calls for a ‘new deal’ for nurses, whereby those who have proved themselves competent should have little or no limits to the boundaries of their practice

Since the publication of the Scope of Professional Practice in 1992 (1) many people have cynically claimed, both in and out of print, that the document was purely a vehicle allowing nurses to implement the ‘New Deal’ (2), freeing long-suffering medical staff from inappropriate and unwanted duties (3)- Admittedly, several years ago it would have been inconceivable that two such vastly divergent professions could work together. However, the reality is such that these two initiatives can no longer be seen as separate, but rather a long-awaited opportunity for nurses and doctors to review their practice in an effort to provide the best possible care for the patient regardless of title.