Physician Associate

Physician Associates are healthcare professionals with a generalist medical education, who work alongside GPs providing medical care as an integral part of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT).

Physician Associates work within a defined scope of practice:

• Take medical histories from patients
• Carry out physical examinations
• See patients with undifferentiated diagnoses
• See patients with long-term chronic conditions
• Formulate differential diagnoses and management plans
• Perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
• Develop and deliver appropriate treatment and management plans
• Request and interpret diagnostic studies (except those involving ionising radiation)
• Provide health promotion and disease prevention advice for patients.

Physician Associate (PA) appointments are usually booked by the triaging GP or signposted by Patient Services as appropriate.