This guide published by the Royal College of Physicians will be helpful for any general practice that has recently recruited or is considering recruiting a Physician Associate to work as part of their primary care team.
Download GP Supervisor and Physician Associate Guide
The aim of introducing the physician associate (PA) profession into the UK was to produce a generalist healthcare professional who could deliver medical care in partnership with and under the supervision of a doctor. The career structure and development since the introduction of PAs in the UK has been organic and deliberately non-prescriptive to allow for workforce innovation and the ability for organisations to be responsive to local healthcare needs. The career development for the PA has been described as a flat career structure but this does not mean that physician associates do not progress, it is just not described in the same way as other healthcare professional groups.
As a dependent practitioner PAs will always work under the supervision of and in conjunction with doctors as part of the medical team. All PAs must undertake the Physician Associate National Examination to enter professional practice. This is a competency and safety examination which tests that PAs have reached the required national standard of skills and knowledge to be able to deliver service at a safe and competent level with appropriate support and supervision as required.
The Competence and Curriculum Framework (CCF) can be found on the Faculty of Physician Associates (FPA) website https://www.fparcp.co.uk/employers/guidance
