Physician associate: how much is their salary, difference between a doctor explained and what can they not do?

• Almost a quarter of people do not know the difference between a physician associate (PAs) and a doctor according to a poll by Healthwatch England.
• There have been calls for more clarity surrounding the differences between the roles.
• The NHS plans to employ 10,000 physician associates by 2037.
• PAs help tackle staff shortages and improve access to healthcare for patients.
• Here’s everything you need to know about how to tell the differences between a physician associate and a doctor.

Almost a quarter of people do not know the difference between a physician associate (PAs) and a doctor a new survey has discovered.

Healthwatch England have called for more clarity around the role of PAs after they uncovered that whilst 52% of people could tell the difference between the role and that of a doctor, 23% of those polled could not.

The NHS is still facing unprecedented pressures following the Covid pandemic, with staff shortages and patient waiting lists at an all-time high. The NHS plans to employ 10,000 PAs by 2037 to help improve outcomes for patients to help fill the gap.

However, in June 2024, The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), called for a halt to recruitment until new regulation practices are brought in after a survey with 5,000 GPs on the role of PAs in a healthcare setting.

The consultation found that there was an inconsistency in the way that PAs were “deployed, inducted and supervised” in general practice, with “many places these processes are not as robust as they should be”.

So, what is a physician associate, how are they different to a doctor and what is their salary? Here’s everything you need to know.

What is a physician associate?

PAs are medically-trained healthcare professionals that work alongside doctors to provide medical care. You may be treated by one in a GP practice or in a hospital setting.

Physician associate students already have an undergraduate degree in a life science and/or a significant background in healthcare, according to the Royal College of Physicians.

To qualify as a PAs you may first study a life or health sciences-related undergraduate degree such as Medical Science, Biomedical Science, Nursing, Radiography, Radiotherapy, Physiotherapy, before undertaking a Masters of Physician Associate Studies course.

Training usually takes two years, with a clinical placement involving 350 hours in a general hospital medicine setting and a minimum of 90 hours in another medical setting such as mental health, surgery or paediatrics.

PAs can assess, diagnose, and treat patients, but they cannot prescribe medication or request x-rays.

What is the difference between a physician associate and a doctor?

PAs are not doctors and there are many big differences between them, with the most obvious being the difference in the time it takes to qualify. Studying to become a physician associate only takes two years, whilst training to become a doctor can take around a decade.

The first step to become a doctor is to attend medical school, which can take between four to seven years to complete. After this you then need to complete a two year foundation programme where you will be asked to specialise in an area of medicine.

If you want to train to become a GP you will then need to complete three years of specialist training, whilst for other specialisms this can last five to eight years.

PAs must also be supervised by a senior doctor and cannot prescribe medications, they can request prescriptions for patients but this must be signed off by a doctor, they also cannot request X-rays. They can work autonomously with appropriate support.

How much is a physician associate’s salary?

A PAs according the NHS will generally have a band 7 starting salary, which for under two years’ experience starts at £43,742. Internships start at band 6, which for under two years’ starts at £35,392.

You can find out more about what a physician associate is and the job they do at NHS.UK.