Physician associates (PAs) must only see patients in general practice who have been triaged by a GP and only undertake work delegated to them, and agreed with, their named GP supervisor, says new guidance from the Royal College of General Practice.1
The RCGP’s new scope of practice says that a PA can take a history, complete a physical examination, and construct a diagnostic and management plan but that this must be shared with the supervisor either simultaneously—or at a “hot review” at the end of the session, if the PA is more experienced.
In August the BMA set out a similar scope of practice for PAs working in general practice but went further by stating that the GP supervisor’s review should take place before the patient left the practice.2
If a patient contacts the practice a second time with the same …
