Physician Associate / Assistant

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The following are the core responsibilities of the physician associate. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels. The physician associate will work within their scope of clinical practice and: a.Identify, signpost or refer patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects on the patients health b.Provide routine care to patients as required in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF c.Examine and assess patients under GP supervision and provide clinical care/ management as required d.Triage and treat or refer patients who attend the clinic e.Collect pathology specimens as required f.Maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation g.Ensure read codes are used effectively h.Ensure continuity of care, arranging follow-up consultations or reviews as necessary i.Review the effectiveness of the treatment provided, making changes where necessary under GP supervision to improve patient outcomes j.Chaperone patients where necessary k.Prioritise health issues and intervene appropriately l.Recognise, assess and refer patients presenting with mental health needs m.Support patients in the use of their prescribed medicines or over the counter medicines (within own scope of practice) n.Liaise with external services/agencies to ensure that the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients etc.) o.Ensure that they adhere to the relevant patient group directives and local clinical pathways at all times p.Support the clinical team with all safeguarding matters, in accordance with local and national policies q.Understand local policies for substance abuse and addictive behaviour, referring patients appropriately r.Deliver opportunistic health promotion where appropriate In addition to the primary responsibilities, the physician associate may be requested to: a.Support the federation audit programme, undertaking audits when necessary b.Support junior members of the team, providing guidance when necessary c.Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care d.Support and participate in shared learning within the federation e.Continually review clinical practices, responding to national policies and initiatives where appropriate f.Participate in the review of significant and near-miss events applying a structured approach, i.e. root cause analysis (RCA) g.Take personal responsibility for own learning and development, including the requirement to maintain currency, achieving all targets set in their Personal Development Plan (PDP)