Physician Associate Workshop
Welcome
A Physician Associate 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.”
Competence and Curriculum
Framework:
DH specification for PA education.
• Competencies
• Procedural Skills
• Matrix of Conditions
Programme Specification:
•
3200 hours over 2 years
•
50% clinical (incl. 200 simulation hours)
•
50% theory
HEWM & HEE Involvement…
From April 2013 – Present:
• Collaborating with regional HEIs and employers – encouraging
and assisting with HEI-employer communication.
• Educating, informing and understanding more about issues /
blockers / concerns surrounding the role, through: events, 1:1
meetings with potential / current employers, development of
online learning resources…
• Considering and generating consultation on project areas
including: funding models, Military, Pharmacy and professional
development.
• Facilitated regional engagement events in July and
December 2013 with West Midlands employers and course
providers, to explore depth of interest for the role of PA and
understand concerns.
• Through establishing a two-way communication network,
we have achieved a majority interest from regional Trusts,
in cooperation with regional HEIs, UK Association of PAs
(UKAPA) and interested parties nationally.
• Universities of Birmingham, Worcester and Wolverhampton
are now delivering PA courses in the West Midlands.
Regional PA Training
• Following exceptional interest from regional Trusts and potential Trainees,
University of Birmingham launched two 2014 cohorts.
• University of Worcester launched a September 2014 PA programme at Masters
level.
• University of Wolverhampton PA programme launched from October 2014.
• All programmes currently recruiting for 2015 cohorts.
PA programmes and cohort sizes have been mapped against regional employers’
requirements, to ensure that:
• employment opportunities exist for trainees and
National PA Courses
HEE actively support the increase in number of course providers nationally.
PA Training Numbers:
• University of Birmingham currently deliver two cohorts – total of 30 student PAs.
• University of Worcester launched a September 2014 PA programme at Masters level
(MSc - the first of its kind) with 18 student PAs enrolled.
• University of Wolverhampton PA programme launched in October 2014: cohort of 4
currently.
• St George’s University of London (SGUL): Current cohort of 29 (year 1) and 26 (year 2).
• Aberdeen University: Current cohort of 12 (+ 5 deferred), with 19 full time PAs employed
in Grampian, all in secondary care.
National Picture:
•
19
thMarch 2014:
Council of the Royal College of Physicians agreed to establish a
faculty of Physician Associates.
• The Council agreed that this will be established as a faculty of the RCP, although
other related Colleges will be involved in the process.
• Council’s support for the proposal was strong, with no opposition.
• Collaborative working agreed between UKAPA and RCP.
• RCP support is an important step toward statutory registration.
PA Funding
•
For Clinical Placements – primary and secondary care based
•
For trainees: tuition fees
Currently no tariff in place to allow for funding of clinical placements for student
Physician Associates
.
S.27 of the
DH
Education and Training Tariff 2014-15
confirms the exclusion of Physician Associates and that
“
local arrangements
” should be made.
Significant variation in local funding models nationally – examples include:
Plymouth’s “training contract” model, where a unique training partnership between
Plymouth University
Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry
and local employers will see three South West NHS trusts
sponsoring five places on the course each. The trusts will pay full tuition fees, in exchange for a two-year
employment contract post-graduation.
First time that such a partnership has been established between NHS trusts and a university
West Midlands LETB will be (partially) funding GP placement costs (14 days).
East of England LETB discussing a plan to fully fund courses through their four workforce partnerships, at the East
Anglia and Anglia Ruskin course providers (due to launch courses from September 2015).
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) PA Faculty
First time that the college has allowed a non-doctor faculty.
Currently, Physician Associate Trainees must undertake a national exam at the end of their two year programme and again every six years to maintain their fitness to practice. This exam is managed through an association of course providers.
Review commissioned by the MRCP UK office to see how the national PA exam can be adopted, adapted and improved.
Physician Associates are encouraged to sign up to a managed voluntary register (MVR), but as the profession is currently unregulated, this is not a mandatory requirement.
The MVR – currently administered through the UK Association of Physician Associates (UKAPA) is under review by RCP, with a view to the RCP Faculty eventually taking over management. RCP anticipate that this will take place by summer 2015.
RCP are restructuring their website and considering how the PA Faculty pages can best be incorporated.
HEE continue to liaise with such bodies as RCP, GMC, HCPC and the Department of Health, to progress the case for statutory regulation of the PA role.
The Faculty development board are currently developing a faculty membership package before transferring the managed voluntary register and the membership register to the faculty.
