Physician associates in NHS Wales: A study of the transition from student to qualified clinician, their contribution to teams and services, and responses to the role

Morris, Felicity 2022. Physician associates in NHS Wales: A study of the transition from student to qualified clinician, their contribution to teams and services, and responses to the role. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Physician Associates (PAs) are a relatively new healthcare profession, first introduced to the UK National Health Service (NHS) in 2003. PAs are generalists who work alongside doctors in a defined scope of practice. They have been seen to contribute positively and received positive patient feedback but have faced challenges as a new profession. This study is one of the first to explore the PA profession in the context of Wales. The study aims were to explore the experiences of being a newly qualified PA (NQPAs), how embedded PAs are in their teams, what impact they have on services, patient responses and if there are any similarities or differences between the primary and secondary care settings. The study adopted a mixed methods approach. Remote semi-structured interviews were conducted with case study PAs, team members, management staff and patients. In response to the recruitment challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, case studies were discontinued, and one-off interviews were conducted. In total, 51 participants were interviewed. An online questionnaire was distributed to all PAs working across Wales harvesting 31 responses. Findings included conflicting perceptions of how prepared the PAs felt for practice and experiences in the transition of student to qualified PA. Akin to other studies, the continuity of PAs was of significant value as well as providing both clinical and non-clinical support to colleagues. PAs faced role ambiguity from colleagues and patients and some reported resistance. Despite this, overall, PAs were reported to be accepted into their teams and by patients. The findings suggest that there are inhibitors to the effective transition from student to qualified PA and ambiguities can create difficulties for establishing the profession. Whilst the pandemic presented challenges, some speculated that the value of PAs had been highlighted and subsequently developed further opportunities for the profession.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	14 September 2023
Last Modified:	14 Sep 2023 09:28
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/162495

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