As dependent practitioners, PAs must always have a doctor who they can consult with for advice. In some circumstances, it is appropriate for a PA to be seeing patients alone for
PAs usually work as part of a team therefore they can easily discuss with a doctor to acquire an appropriate and safe prescription. This may be done remotely in the case of electronic prescribing.
Although PAs cannot order ionising radiation, they are usually working with doctors. Again, after a discussion, the supervising doctor may request the appropriate investigation.
Yes, PAs can administer medications so long as there is a patient-specific direction (PSD), commonly known as a prescription, in place. There should be governance at a local level to clearly set out what PAs can administer within an organisation.
No, because PAs stay in post for a long time, they have plenty of opportunities to acquire the skills that they need. PAs can even be the one to deliver the training to the doctors. PAs also provide cover so that doctors can leave the department to attend their protected teaching sessions. Some doctors may be apprehensive about the role but these fears should be addressed at induction by briefly explaining how PAs fit within the organisation and how they can help the junior doctors during their rotation.
Yes, it is recommended that the PA takes five study days per year. It is also recommended that a study budget is made available for the PA so that they can attend conferences and study days. The PA may wish to attend a generic training day rather than a speciality one. This is entirely appropriate as PAs are generalists and need to recertify every six years in all areas of medicine.
No, PAs are part of the team and complement the doctors by sharing the workload. PAs do not have a traditional hierarchical structure that exists for doctors and nurses. A PA's career path tends to be more lateral than vertical. After many years of experience, PAs can bring a wealth of knowledge to the team.
