Introduction Following a literature review (Buchan 2006, unpublished), NHS Education for Scotland (NES) was commissioned to undertake a pilot of the Physician Assistant role in Scotland. PAs are a new role within healthcare, who can carry out a range of skills that traditionally have been conducted by doctors. External Evaluation The University of Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute will complete an evaluation of the PA role, by the end of 2008. Interim results include: very positive impact from patients, team members and supervisors • good team working • prescribing restrictions problematic • Next Steps Once the evaluation has been considered, a decision will be made about commissioning an education programme. Culture and Social Induction Scotland undertook a highly complex recruitment process, to a challenging timetable, managing the complexity of cultural, professional and social transition for the PAs. Lessons learned elsewhere were applied, new ones discovered. Support from a relocation service and introduction to local networks during this transitional period allowed individuals to become established. PAs have rapidly assimilated the medical-cultural differences, through induction and from their supervisors. Clarity of role, acceptance by other health care professionals and quality of supervision are important in determining how quickly the PAs settled into NHSScotland. From the PAs: “From my perspective the NHS is really getting to see what PAs do. I hope everyone feels they’re making a similar impact” Doug Hudson PA-C, NHS Grampian “The medical problems we see here are the same in the States, but way they are managed is different” Juanita Gardner, NHS Lothian Why PAs? Increasing pressures in the NHS: changes to medical contracts • changes to medical careers (mmc) • cost and resource issues • For Further Information Contact: [email protected] 0131 331 8103 Zachary Hartsell, Physician Assistant - Emergency Medicine, NHS Lanarkshire Left - Eileen Scanlon and Tanya Pletin - Emergency Medicine PAs, NHS Lanarkshire Centre - PAs Tamera Binder, Tyre Conrey, John Bradford, Eileen Scanlon, Doug Hudson (kneeling) Ed Schuurman, Juanita Gardner, Candace Campbell, Tanya Pletin, Renee Frasher, Jane Marlin Right - Eileen Scanlon References Bullion J, Ball J, O’May F (2006) Physician Assistants in NHSScotland: Reviewing the Issues, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (unpublished) Physician Assistant Pilot Programme Ms D Armstrong, Programme Director, NHS Education for Scotland Dr P O’Connor, Clinical Coordinator, NHS Education for Scotland

Physician Assistant Pilot Programme - 302 Found

Download PDF Report

Upload
others
View
5
Download
0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Physician Assistant Pilot Programme - 302 Found

IntroductionFollowing a literature review (Buchan 2006, unpublished), NHS Education for Scotland (NES) was commissioned to undertake a pilot of the Physician Assistant role in Scotland.

PAs are a new role within healthcare, who can carry out a range of skills that traditionally have been conducted by doctors.

External EvaluationThe University of Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute will complete an evaluation of the PA role, by the end of 2008. Interim results include:

very positive impact from patients, team members and supervisors•

good team working•

prescribing restrictions problematic•

Next StepsOnce the evaluation has been considered, a decision will be made about commissioning an education programme.

Culture and Social InductionScotland undertook a highly complex recruitment process, to a challenging timetable, managing the complexity of cultural, professional and social transition for the PAs. Lessons learned elsewhere were applied, new ones discovered.

Support from a relocation service and introduction to local networks during this transitional period allowed individuals to become established.

PAs have rapidly assimilated the medical-cultural differences, through induction and from their supervisors. Clarity of role, acceptance by other health care professionals and quality of supervision are important in determining how quickly the PAs settled into NHSScotland.

From the PAs:

“From my perspective the NHS is really getting to see what PAs do. I hope everyone feels they’re making a similar impact” Doug Hudson PA-C, NHS Grampian

“The medical problems we see here are the same in the States, but way they are managed is different” Juanita Gardner, NHS Lothian

Why PAs?Increasing pressures in the NHS:

changes to medical contracts•

changes to medical careers (mmc)•

cost and resource issues•

For Further Information Contact:

[email protected]

0131 331 8103

Zachary Hartsell, Physician Assistant - Emergency Medicine, NHS Lanarkshire

Left - Eileen Scanlon and Tanya Pletin - Emergency Medicine PAs, NHS LanarkshireCentre - PAs Tamera Binder, Tyre Conrey, John Bradford, Eileen Scanlon, Doug Hudson(kneeling) Ed Schuurman, Juanita Gardner, Candace Campbell, Tanya Pletin, Renee Frasher, Jane MarlinRight - Eileen Scanlon

ReferencesBullion J, Ball J, O’May F (2006) Physician Assistants in NHSScotland: Reviewing the Issues, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (unpublished)

Physician Assistant Pilot Programme

Ms D Armstrong, Programme Director, NHS Education for ScotlandDr P O’Connor, Clinical Coordinator, NHS Education for Scotland