Physician Associate Resources
Role of a Physician Associate
A Physician Associate (PA) is:
“…a new healthcare professional who, while not a doctor, works to the medical model, with the attitudes, skills and knowledge base to deliver holistic care and treatment within the general medical and/or general practice team under defined levels of supervision.”
They must have completed an intensive 2-year university course at diploma or master’s level on top of their 3-year biomedical/healthcare related undergraduate degree. More information on the PA role and their benefits can be found on our ARRS roles page.
Case studies of PAs working in Primary Care
Recruitment
There are 34 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offering PA training programmes. This means the number of qualified Physician Associates is increasing. NHS England have implemented initiatives to help increase the number of Physician Associates choosing to work in general practice including:
Educational support allowance for students
Increased clinical placement hours in primary care
Additional preceptorship funding for primary care employers who employ a Physician Associate is available.
During the preceptorship year, Physician Associates Transforming Healthcare (PATH) has been commissioned by NHS England to provide support for Physician Associates.
Resources
PA Appraisal Process
To help standardise the PA appraisal process, we have developed a PA Appraisal Document template which you can download. This is in response to feedback at the PA Forum meeting.
Faculty of Physician Associates
If you’re a GP or practice manager, you’ll find a dedicated general practice employers page with access to local contacts, FAQs and free resources on the Faculty of Physician Associates webpage.
Who are Physician Associates? Poster
If your practice employs a Physician Associate, help inform patients about their role in primary care by downloading and printing this Who Are Physician Associates? poster to display in your waiting area.
