Successful implementation of any role development relies on strong partnership working between employers, managers, education providers and clinicians in the short and longer term to ensure sustainability. Drawing on the experience of NHS Education for Scotland (NES), this article highlights how one national organisation has supported role development. The article also explores enablers and barriers to proposed workforce changes and the education and learning considerations required for role development. It then outlines the contribution made by NES in providing national guidance for role development to support managers and individual practitioners.