Physician Assistant

Physician Assistants (PAs), formerly known as Physician Associates have been training and working in the UK since 2007, supporting doctors – in both primary and secondary care settings.

PAs undergo a two-year postgraduate training programme, which is offered at 36 universities across the UK and Republic of Ireland. To enter into PA training the student must hold a life science bachelor’s degree or already be a trained healthcare professional, such as nurse, paramedic or physiotherapist.

PAs are trained under the medical model in what is intended to be a complimentary role. The scope of their role includes but is not limited to taking medical histories, performing examinations, requesting further investigations and interpreting results and developing management plans. PAs work within a defined scope of practice under the supervision of a senior clinician, with a level of autonomy to compliment the multi professional team.

Interest in the PA profession is growing rapidly across the UK. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (2024) has indicated that there is a goal to increase PA training places to over 1,500 by 2031/32. In support of this, around 1,300 PAs will be trained per year from 2023/24, increasing to over 1,400 per year in 2027/28 and 2028/29, establishing a workforce of 10,000 PAs by 2036/37.

PA students already have an undergraduate degree in a life science and/or a significant background in healthcare. To become a PA, students take a two year, full-time, intensive postgraduate course in medical science and clinical reasoning. It includes over 1,400 hours of clinical placement experience in both acute and community settings, starting at an early point of the course.

Students must pass both their university programme and the UK Physician Assistant National Examination to be able to work as a PA. Once qualified, Physician Assistants must: maintain 50 hours of CPD each year and sit a recertification examination every 6 years.

Further information 

Please see the full Leng Review of Physician Associates here: The Leng review: an independent review into physician associate and anaesthesia associate professions – GOV.UK