How does supervision work?

PAs will require a certain amount of supervision in their medical practice. This will vary somewhat from individual to individual and is dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, their previous healthcare experience and years of experience as a Physician Associate.

Delegation of medical services to PAs

PAs are able to practice in the UK as a result of a clause in the British General Medical Council’s guidance on good medical practice. Delegation is discussed in paragraph 54 as follows: “ Delegation involves asking a colleague to provide treatment or care on your behalf. Although you will not be accountable for the decisions and actions of those to whom you delegate, you will still be responsible for the overall management of the patient, and accountable for your decision to delegate. When you delegate care or treatment you must be satisfied that the person to whom you delegate has the qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills to provide the care or treatment involved. You must always pass on enough information about the patient and the treatment they need.” For further information, see the General Medical Council’s website and statement on good medical practice. ​

Indemnity?

Locum PA Ltd provideds full Medical Indemnity to all Physician Associates that work through the compnay unless they are already covered. PA indemnity cover can be supplied via MPS and MDDUS.

What can PAs do?

Physician associates work across a variety of medical and surgical specialties in England and Scotland. PAs see patients of all ages for acute and chronic medical care. They obtain:

• medical histories
• conduct comprehensive physical exams
• request and interpret tests
• diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries
• advise on preventive health care.

How are PAs Educated?

PA training is Post-graduate in the UK. Candidate must have an undergraduate science related degree. The programmes are a minimum of 90 weeks over two years (3,200 hours) and based on the Competence and Curriculum Framework for Physician Assistants (DH, 2006, Revised 2012). PAs then have to pass a national exam to enter into professional practice. They must re-certify every six years to continue to practice.

What is a Physician Associate

" Physician Associates are medically trained, generalist healthcare professionals, who work alongside doctors and provide medical care as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team. Physician associates are dependent practitioners working with a dedicated medical supervisor, but are able to work autonomously with appropriate support" Royal College of Physicians 2017

Why Use Locum PA?

Locum PA was establish in 2013 and has been putting PAs at the heart of healthcare since the first UK cohorts of Physician Associates graduated. We have been around since the birth of the profession in the UK. The company is run & owned by experienced Physician Associates and not by recruiters. >80% of the PA workforce is registered with us With all of our expertise and experience we believe we are The Gold Standard in Physician Associate service provision