Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what alternative NHS roles are available to people who have completed accredited Physician Associate training but are unable to secure employment as Physician Associates.

Recruitment and retention of physician assistant, still legally known as physician associate (PA), roles into the National Health Service is the responsibility of individual employers in primary and secondary care as part of local and regional workforce planning. Decisions on alternative roles for newly qualified PAs rests with local employers, who will need to consider their workforce model, staffing numbers and skill mix as part of a wider workforce strategy aligned to service priorities.

Nationally, NHS England continues to work closely with partners, supported by colleagues in the regions, to consider what guidance and support can be provided to employers to implement the Leng Review recommendations related to the employment of PAs.