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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
Jeannie Watkins PA-R Senior Lecturer & Clinical Placement Lead - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Jeannie Watkins PA-R Senior Lecturer & Clinical Placement Lead - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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
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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.
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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*
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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.
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Examples of Conditions PA’s See
81 45 30 4346 16 1 2 66 31 70 22 7 30 3 21 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 cardiovascular Dermatology Endocrinology Mental Health ENT Female Health Haematology Infectious Disease Respiratory Gastrointestinal Musculoskeletal Neurology Opthalmology
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Supervision Required
None Brief Extended
Out of a total of 391 patients seen 367 23 6
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Education
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PA Programmes
Currently 9 Programmes in the UK Potentially 24 programmes by September 2016 Accreditation of PA Programmes
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Prospective Students
First degree Healthcare experience Various funding models – majority self
funding
Clear about career pathway Motivated
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SGUL PgDip PA Studies Course Outline
O 2 year full-time programme (92 weeks) Theoretical & Clinical elements O Year 1
Induction 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 1st and 2nd yr to progress to national exam
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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
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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)
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PA are trained to be:
O Aware of the limits of their competence O Team players O Lifelong learners
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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!
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