Physician associates: New class of medics to join GP practices in Shropshire

The jobs of physician associates aim to take pressure off hard-pressed GPs and by 2020 the organisation responsible for NHS workforce training wants to see a total of 1,000 of them recruited to primary care roles.

Supporting doctors, they can take medical histories from patients and perform physical examinations.

Diagnosing illnesses, performing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and analysing test results also fall within their remit, although they are unable to prescribe medicines or refer patients for an X-ray or CT scan.

Funding for four such posts across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin has been made available, and this week 16 applicants were interviewed for three of the roles.

One will be based in Oswestry and two at Teldoc's sites in Telford, which care for tens of thousands of patients in the county.

Dr Ian Chan, from Teldoc, is the clinical champion for physician associates in Shropshire.

"The aim is to improve access for patients," he said.

"They are assistants to the doctor. They are not there to be a GP.

"They can take medical history, do examinations, they can come up with their own plans, they can't prescribe or request CT scans but they are pretty comprehensive."

Teldoc, which has medical practices across Telford, will offer those qualified as physician associates an internship, which will allow them to build on their skills.

Dr Chan said: "There has been a lot of interest in the roles.

Diversifying

"In Teldoc, we are forward thinking. We know there is a shortage in GPs. We need to start diversifying the workforce.

"This is a job role which could be a lot of help to primary care locally to improve its resilience and capacity."

Teldoc hopes the new roles will provide patients increased access to same day healthcare.

The physician associate role developed in the UK is fashioned on the model established in America around 50 years ago.

More than 100,000 physician associates work in primary and secondary care across America.

In the UK, physician associates must complete a full-time post graduate diploma, which is offered by about 30 universities.

Applicants must already have a life science-related degree.

One of the UK universities offering a physician associate two-year postgraduate training programme is the University of Wolverhampton.

The university's website says a lack of trained physician associate's in the UK means that career prospects for graduates are excellent.

It says: "The predicted growth of the physician associate role across the NHS to fill an important resource gap indicates strong continued employment prospects for graduates.

"As a member of the healthcare profession, physician associates can bring in excellent medical and communication skills, a positive attitude to the current workplace and a respect for patients.

"With a current difficulty in recruiting doctors in acute and primary care, it opens up doors and makes a physician associate a highly sought after clinical professional in the healthcare sector."

Courses are also offered at the University of Chester.

For more information visit fparcp.co.uk/about-fpa/Who-are-physician-associates