Cogora in the Press: Reducing the use of physician associates

An exclusive survey by Pulse, Pulse PCN and Management in Practice revealing that one in five PCNs have reduced their use of physician associates in the past year has been picked up by the national media – including BBC News, The Independent and the Evening Standard.

The survey polled our community of GPs and practice managers via Pulse, Pulse PCN and Management in Practice, with 21% of respondents from 425 distinct PCNs reporting a reduction in physician associates in the last 12 months.

Of those, many cited the restrictions on what work PAs can undertake independently as having limited their use in general practice, while others stated that these restrictions mean PAs need too much supervision that practices don’t have the resources to provide.

Responding to the survey, one GP said: ‘We had a PA but now don’t use them because of the change in guidance. We can’t afford to pay someone with such limited scope.’ Another said they’d been forced to make their physician associate redundant ‘primarily due to the additional time needed to support the role, as the BMA made it impossible for them to work independently’.  

The results have appeared on BBC Breakfast (7:12) and in The Independent and the Evening Standard.

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