Physician associates’ contribution to the NHS under review in Northern Ireland
The Department of Health in Northern Ireland is undertaking its own review into physician associates (PAs), assessing their contribution to the NHS, which will inform the ‘future direction’ of the role.
The Department of Health currently pays tuition fees for the GMC-approved PA course at Ulster University and provided funding to GPs and trusts ‘to facilitate clinical placements’ as part of a programme, which was defined by ministers in 2019 as ‘a new era in the provision of health care locally’.
Pulse understands that while the review is ongoing, the Department of Health is continuing to commission places at Ulster University, which has been commissioned for a further intake.
It comes after the Leng review into the safety and efficiency of PA in England determined that the role does not need to be scrapped – however PAs should be renamed, more thoroughly trained and they should not see undifferentiated patients.
There are approximately 80 PAs working in Northern Ireland across all five health and social care trusts and in primary care, and that they are ‘a valued element of the workforce’, the Department said.
However, it cited ‘inappropriate funding’ as a ‘significant challenge’ in being able to create new positions for PAs.
A Department of Health spokesperson told Pulse: ‘The Department recognises that physician associates (PAs) play a valuable role working alongside medics in Northern Ireland and is supporting the development of the role within health and social care through funding students on the postgraduate PA programme at Ulster University.
‘As a result, there are currently approximately 80 physician associates working in Northern Ireland across all five geographically defined health and social care trusts and in primary care. They are a valued element of the workforce.
‘The Department has been very supportive of the programme at Ulster University since its inception and is aware of the high calibre of students partaking in, and graduating from, this programme.
‘Clearly, our objective should be to retain these valuable healthcare professionals in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, the inadequate funding made available to the Department presents a very significant challenge in being able to create the necessary new positions.’
Earlier this month, Pulse revealed that seven universities running physician associate courses have halted the recruitment of new students due to a lack of opportunities for graduates.
This summer the NI Department of Health set out plans to expand primary care teams across the country, while GPs plough on with collective action.
Funding was secured to push ahead with growing the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) programme which will ‘open up a million more appointments by 2033’.
The announcement came in the same week that GPs in Northern Ireland began collective action ‘designed to reduce the unfunded work’ they do.
