Who is a qualified medic? Nearly one in four Brits do not know the difference between a physician associate and doctor, poll reveals By Colin Fernandez, Science Correspondent Published: 00:03 BST, 22 July 2024 | Updated: 00:03 BST, 22 July 2024 e-mail View comments Nearly one in four people does not know the difference between a physician associate and a doctor, according to a poll. While 52 per cent of Britons can differentiate between the two roles, some 23 per cent said they did not know the difference. Healthwatch England, which commissioned the poll, has called for more clarity around the role of physician associates.
The NHS 's Long Term Workforce plans sets out an ambition to establish a workforce of 10,000 physician associates by 2036/37. PAs are a relatively new profession that was introduced in the health service from 2003. Nearly one in four people does not know the difference between a physician associate and a doctor, according to a poll Three in five adults said during their last NHS appointment, the person providing their care clearly explained their role, according to a survey conducted by Savanta on 1,677 people across England (file pic) Around 4,000 physician associates work in the NHS in England.
They are medically trained and work alongside doctors and nurses, and perform similar tasks to a doctor but do not have the same medical training that a doctor goes through. Read More How hospitals are using underqualified physician associates because there aren't .