Physician Associate

Chloe Constance

The role of a physician associate

Physician associates are healthcare professionals who work as part of a multidisciplinary team with supervision from a named senior doctor (a General Medical Council registered consultant or general practitioner), providing care to patients in primary, secondary and community care environments. PAs are part of the government’s medical associate professions (MAPs) grouping in the health and care workforce and have been working in the UK since 2003.

Although the physician associate profession is still considered relatively ‘new’ in the UK, the first physician associates were formally introduced in 2003. The role of physician assistant first developed in the US in the 1960s, and equivalent or similar roles exist in many healthcare systems around the world.

What do physician associates do?

Physician associates work within a defined scope of practice and limits of competence. They:

• Take medical histories from patients
• Carry out physical examinations
• See patients with undifferentiated diagnoses
• See patients with long-term chronic conditions
• Formulate differential diagnoses and management plans
• Perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
• Develop and deliver appropriate treatment and management plans
• Request and interpret diagnostic studies
• Provide health promotion and disease prevention advice for patients

Currently, physician associates are not able to:

• Prescribe
• Request ionising radiation (eg chest x-ray or CT scan)

Pharmacist

Feba Gregory

Clinical Pharmacist Independent Prescriber & Trainee ACP

I worked in community pharmacy for 10 years before transitioning to General Practice in June 2020. I have a special interest in Diabetes, and I work in collaboration with the clinical team at the practice to optimise medication regimes, review patients on multiple medications, and support with queries related to medication. Additionally, I am pursuing a Masters in Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP).