The Physician Associate Jeannie Watkins PA-R Senior Lecturer & Clinical Placement Lead St Georges’ University of London
Physician Associate (PA) O What is a PA? O What can they do? O PA Education and Training O Benefits of PAs to the medical team O Regulation O Employment O Salary O Closing Thoughts…… O Questions
What is a Physician Associate? A physician assistant is a healthcare professional trained in a medical model who works as part of a medical team with doctors to provide medical care.
What can they do? O Take medical history O Physically examine a patient O Diagnose with possible differentials O Diagnostic tests/procedures O Treatment and Management Plans O Referrals accept and receive O Medications* O All with physician supervision*
The Physician Associate Role O The Doctor-PA Relationship O Trust O Competence O Centrepiece O Context for extension of care O From within the Doctor-PA relationship the PA exercises autonomous medical decision making to extend healthcare to the doctor’s patients.
Examples of Conditions PA’s See cardiovascular 90 Dermatology 81 80 Endocrinology 70 70 Mental Health 66 60 ENT Female Health 50 4346 45 Haematology 40 Infectious Disease 31 30 30 30 Respiratory 22 21 20 Gastrointestinal 16 Musculoskeletal 10 7 3 1 2 Neurology 0 Opthalmology
Supervision Required Out of a total of 391 patients seen 6 23 None Brief 367 Extended
Education
PA Programmes Currently 9 Programmes in the UK Potentially 24 programmes by September 2016 Accreditation of PA Programmes
Prospective Students First degree Healthcare experience Various funding models – majority self funding Clear about career pathway Motivated
SGUL PgDip PA Studies Course Outline O 2 year full-time programme (92 weeks) Theoretical & Clinical elements O Year 1 I nduction period 80%/20% theoretical/clinical Clinical Placements: GP O Progression Point O Year 2 20%/80% theoretical/clinical Clinical Placements: 1600 hours over 2 years *Students must pass all elements of programme both 1 st and 2 nd yr to progress to national exam
SGUL PgDip PA Studies O Theoretical Elements O Foundations in Clinical Medicine O Evidence Based Medicine O Pharmacology O Personal and Professional Development O Research Methods
SGUL PgDip PA Studies Clinical Placements Core Placements Min Hours O General Practice 320 (120 yr1) (200 yr2) O General Medicine 400 O A & E 200 O OBGYN 100 O Paediatrics 100 O Mental Health 100 O Surgery 100 Electives:eg. Cardiology, GI, Renal, GUM 300 (total for electives)
PA are trained to be: O Aware of the limits of their competence O Team players O Lifelong learners
Benefits of a PA Fl Flexib ible le O Complement the medical team O Do not deplete existing workforce O See a variety of undifferentiated patients with a range of problems O Outpatients O Ward work O On-take O Theatres
Stable le and C d Consis isten ent O No rotation O Increase access to healthcare O Provide capacity in the team sick patients, juniors training, cover for sickness and leave O Familiar with patients - can trouble shoot
Regulation O Currently no Statutory Regulation O unable to prescribe O unable to request ionising radiation O Established Managed Voluntary Register O Public protection and safety O PAs sign up to: O Code of Conduct and Scope of Practice O 50 hours CPD per year O Recertification exam every 6 years (SBA’s) O Fitness to Practice Mechanism O Professional body – Faculty of PAs at RCP
Employment O 270 PAs working across the Country in over 20 specialties O Demand is currently outstripping supply O We will only accept PAs who are UK and US trained as demonstrable and comparable standards of training and education O Employers must check if PA on the MVR O PAs must pass their University Exams and the PA National Exam to practice
Salary Currently AFC banding in NHS O New Graduate - £30k + (band 7 AFC) O More experienced PAs 3-5yrs £35-£40K O 5 years + £40K upwards
Closing Thoughts…….. O PAs are coming to a town near you O Complementary part of medical workforce not replacements for medical staffing O Properly introduce into the workforce O They will not be right for every post you have vacant O Will not solve all of the problems in the NHS……..but are definitely part of the solution O Consider PA student placements!
Questions?
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