Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to assess the adequacy of the contribution of physician associates to NHS healthcare teams.

Physician associates (PAs) are already a valued and integral part of the multi-disciplinary healthcare team. United Kingdom and international evidence highlights the contribution of PAs to healthcare teams.

One study published by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) in 2019 found that PAs positively contributed to the medical and surgical team, patient experience and flow, and to supporting the clinical teams' workload, and that they have the potential to contribute further with an expansion of their role. The review also found that PAs undertook significant amounts of ward-based clinical administration related to patients’ care and were reported to be safe.

Health Education England, now NHS England, and NIHR-funded research undertaken and/or led by Professor Vari Drennan MBE between 2011 and 2020 on the role of PAs in England is renowned evidence in this area and publicly available.

As part of its work to implement the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, NHS England will continue to seek feedback from employers, regulators, Royal Colleges and professional bodies regarding the PA role and will work to develop and implement any recommendations.