PA employers must provide references to support registration

Employers of physician associates (PAs) will be required to provide a reference and insurance and indemnity declaration as part of a PA’s application for registration with the GMC.

Around a third of PAs are hired through PCNs, with 1,171 currently employed through networks, according to the latest PCN workforce figures from September.

The regulation of PAs by the GMC is set to begin on 13 December, with registration open from 16 December. However, registration will not be legally required for another two years to allow for a transition period.

In a letter to employers this week, the GMC said PAs will need to provide a range of evidence to demonstrate knowledge, skills and behaviour to provide safe patient care. It said this would include an employer reference and an insurance and indemnity declaration.

The GMC clarified that this reference will need to be completed and signed by a supervising clinician who has oversight of the PA’s practice, which is likely to be the supervising GP.

‘We’d be grateful if you could support this process by making sure PAs, AAs [Anaesthesia Associates] and their supervisors are aware of and prepared for this requirement and requests that they may receive,’ said the letter.

PAs who have practised within the last five years will need an employer reference covering the most recent three months of employment. Supervisors will be provided with a specific form to complete, sign and date.

It added that most PAs will have indemnity cover under their employer’s scheme, but they will need to sign a declaration saying they have this in place when they apply for registration.

PA numbers gradually falling

It comes as the number of PAs employed by PCNs has slightly decreased over the past couple of months, compared with June, July and August. The role has now moved from the sixth most popular to the eighth. However, the number employed is still above the 1,165 employed in May (see box).

PAs and the regulation of the profession have been the subject of controversy within primary care, with the RCGP urging PCNs halt the recruitment of PAs in June.

Earlier this week, a body representing PAs wrote an open letter to the RCGP claiming its scope of practice for PAs has caused harm.

Across the rest of the primary care workforce, pharmacists, care coordinators and social prescribing link workers remained the three most popular roles, all increasing their numbers from August.

Pharmacist numbers in particular were up by 90 to 5,447, while there were 57 more care coordinators in September than August (4,841).

*While all the above roles from the primary care network workforce statistics are reimbursable under ARRS, NHS England has not confirmed whether the FTE numbers have been claimed for under the scheme.