The future of Physician Associates

James Catton talks about the emerging role of Physician Associates in primary care and how the future looks with the potential to prescribe on the horizon.

In this episode of the Illuminating Primary Care Podcast, Rohan Fletcher speaks to James Catton, an experienced Physician Associate within primary care based in Suffolk and Physician Associate ambassador working with Health Education England to discuss all aspects of the PA role, from qualifying through to working as part of a PCN and what the future looks like in general practice for PAs.

What topics do we cover?

Rohan and James discuss various topics, including:

• What attracts Physician Associates to considering a role within Primary Care.
• What the expectations are and how they differ from practice to practice for PAs.
• What advice James has for PAs looking for an opportunity in Primary Care.
• How the future is looking for PAs and whether the potential to prescribe will be a big benefit.
• Next podcast: Helping newly qualified GPs to better understand different earnings and how Locum, Salaried and GP Partner incomes differ and why.

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Watch the episode now on YouTube

YouTube podcast timings

00:04- Introduction

01:01- What attracted James to become a PA?

03:33- What does a day in the life of a PA look like for James?

05:04- How does James find working across multiple practices, being part of a PCN?

07:34- What advice would James give to any PAs that might become the first/only PA within the PCN or practice?

09:37- Was James heavily involved in both the acute and the long-term conditions when he initially started?

13:04- Has James taken on a kind of lead PA role at his practice? Is there a hierarchy?

14:57- What sort of appointment times was James working to when he first started, and what are they now?

18:36- Is there anything James thinks either surgeries or PCNs could do to better understand the role of a PA?

21:03- Does the imbalance of PAs doing secondary care, as opposed to primary care placements, need to be addressed?

22:41- What are James’ thoughts on PAs having prescribing rights?

27:16- As a PA, has James expressed specialist interest in any areas?

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