Physician associates clinical skills
Physician Associates are known for their versatility and adaptability, working across various healthcare environments.
The inclusion of PAs has been pivotal to the UK healthcare system for over two decades, particularly in NHS England’s Medical Associate Professions workforce grouping. They work in a variety of clinical settings including GP surgeries, inpatient wards, accident and emergency departments, and medical assessment units. This diverse exposure and generalist training equips them to handle a range of medical situations and patient care needs.
PAs are dependent practitioners, meaning they must work with a dedicated medical supervisor, but are able to work autonomously with appropriate support. These collaborative and supportive working relationships mean there is always a registered doctor who can discuss cases, give advice and attend to patients if necessary. In this way, physician associates increase the size and versatility of the medical workforce and crucially enhance access to quality care for patients.
 
In July 2025, the Leng Review published a series of recommendations for the future of the PA role within the NHS. These recommendations, including a change of name to Physician Assistant, are subject to implementation by the Department for Health and Social Care and the General Medical Council. We will be carefully monitoring for any future decisions affecting the delivery of our programme and will update our programme materials as soon as we can to reflect any changes.
 
 

The way that the course is delivered is designed to teach us the skills needed to find the best way to manage any clinical scenario we may come across while working, rather than didactically teaching us the information.

Alice Hobbs, MSc Physician Associate Studies
Alice Hobbs