New Role in Medicine

There is a growing interest in the role of a Physician Associate (PA) - Who are they? What do they do? And how do they fit within the established roles within medicine and UK healthcare?

PAs currently work across the UK in a wide range of specialities. The PA role was introduced to meet the growing demand within the NHS and workforce shortages. They have been described as "a new class of medic" (BMA, 2016).

The role is currently supported by the Royal College of Physicians but it is expected that they will gain regulation soon. At present, the competence and curriculum framework is laid down by the Faculty of Physicians Associate and can practice in the UK as per GMC guidance on Good Medical Practice (BMA, 2016).

Department of Health and Health Education England want 1000 PA's in general practice in 2020. Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced the regulation of Physician Associate Profession in October 2018. Physician Associate is one of the growing healthcare professions that will benefit patients and help to reduce the pressure facing the NHS workforce.

The opportunities as a PA are varied and the multi-speciality skill set that Physician Associates bring to the health care team is a great asset in maintaining quality care within the NHS. One of the greatest challenges that is faced within the UK is that at present there are not enough PA's to meet the current shortage in the medical workforce.

The PA role will play its part in assisting the wider health care team to reduce the patient waiting times, especially within GP and A&E practice. This is something that the various healthcare providers across the UK are trying to meet.

The programme at the University of Bolton has worked in collaboration with local NHS trusts to meet this demand and due to this strong partnership, we can offer our PA students high-quality training, clinical placements and job prospects.

Physician Associates train to be generalist, giving more opportunity to work in varied clinical settings. The PA programme offers students the opportunity to deliver hands-on patient care, if you are looking for a medical role but might not necessarily want to become a doctor, you should consider a career as a PA.

This role is increasingly becoming recognised within the NHS. The University of Bolton welcomed the President of the Royal College of Physicians Professor Jane Dacre, and the President of the Faculty of Physician Associates, Jeannie Watkins to ensure the UoB programme met the RCP requirements.

Shyam Muthiah Jayachandran (Programme Lead Clinical Practice)

Clinical and Biomedical Sciences