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Physician associate
PA
A physician associate is a healthcare professional who works under a doctor's supervision and is not a doctor.
Summary
- Most have a science degree followed by two years of postgraduate training.
- They take histories, examine patients and carry out some procedures. They cannot prescribe.
- The regulator of doctors has also regulated them since December 2024.
- The Leng review of July 2025 recommended that the role be renamed physician assistant. On 16 July 2025 the government accepted its recommendations, including that physician associates should not see undiagnosed patients except in clearly defined cases.
Interview questions
- What is a physician associate?
- Why has the role caused concern among doctors?
- How should a patient be told who is treating them?
Sources
- GOV.UKgov.uk/…/patient-safety-boost-as-pa-review-recommendations-accepted
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