Barriers and Enablers to Allied Health Professionals Working in Advanced and Extended Scope of Practice in Healthcare Settings: A Scoping Review

Background As the demand for health services continues to surge, maximising the existing health workforce to its full scope of practice is critical. It is in this context, allied health professionals (AHPs) have a long history of working in advanced and extended scope of practice (AESP). Despite proven effectiveness, implementation of these roles continues to face challenges. A scoping review of the literature was conducted to map the barriers and enablers to allied health professionals working in AESP roles. Methods An apriori protocol was developed and the methodology was informed by the ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews’. Quantitative and qualitative studies were included. The search was conducted using OVID (MEDLINE, EmCare, EmBase, PsycINFO) CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Google Scholar in April 2025. Two reviewers independently screened records, following which data extraction was undertaken. Normalisation Process Theory was used as an overarching framework for descriptive synthesis. Results Nineteen studies of varying designs and methodologies were included. Barriers and enablers to AESP implementation were mapped across three overarching themes: Personal, Organisational, and System‐level factors, reflecting the complexity of embedding such roles into routine practice. The identified enablers and barriers were multifactorial and interconnected, highlighting the critical need for strong organisational support and leadership, long‐term workforce planning, and context‐specific strategies to ensure the sustainability of AESP roles. Conclusion As many barriers and enablers appeared to be two sides of the same coin, this duality underscores the need for context‐specific, stakeholder‐informed, and multifaceted implementation strategies.