title: Can someone call my PA?
abstract: The aim of this paper is to outline the background of the Physician Associate (known in the USA as physician assistant¹) role in the USA and follow its recent journey to the UK where it is becoming a rapidly developing new healthcare role. Through the use of two case studies from UK Hospital Trusts who are currently utilising Physician Associates (PAs) in their workforce we describe the implementation and development opportunities for the role, with particular reference to their role in Acute Medicine teams of the future.
authors.affiliation: Physician Associate in Acute Geriatrics George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and President of the UK Association of Physician Associates.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dowsing
authors.affiliation: Acute Medicine Consultant, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chellamuthu
authors.affiliation: Acute Medicine and Geriatrics Consultant, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.affiliation: Physician Associate in Acute Medicine and Secretary of the UK Association of Physician Associates.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Forbes-Pyman
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D010823:Physician Assistants / Q000193:education / Q000600:supply & distribution; D024382:Professional Role; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States