WEDNESDAY, 22 APRIL 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New clinicians to be seen on Tayside wards

Trainee and graduate healthcare professionals filling the new clinical position of Physician Associate will soon be a feature in local hospitals as NHS Tayside supports the development of the role.

Physician Associates (PAs) are a new and rapidly growing group of graduate professionals who, whilst not doctors, have the skills and knowledge base to deliver holistic care and treatment.

Physician Associates will work as part of a multidisciplinary team under the supervision of a designated senior doctor such as a consultant or registrar. They will be able to carry out physical examinations, make diagnoses, work with patients and carers to agree clinical management plans and undertake patient education, counselling and health promotion.

Mr Stuart Oglesby, Consultant Surgeon with NHS Tayside said, “We are delighted to be supporting this exciting new role which will benefit patients by improving patient care.

“PAs have skills and attributes to improve continuity of care. Working in partnership with patients and senior medical staff, they will ensure that patients are actively involved in decisions affecting their care and that treatment plans are implemented as agreed.”

With funding support from Tayside Health Fund, NHS Tayside is supporting this new healthcare role with a three-fold approach in partnership with Aberdeen University.

From August, six students from Aberdeen University who are currently completing the two-year Physician Associate Studies Postgraduate Diploma will be undertaking four-week placements in gastroenterology, acute stroke medicine, general surgery and vascular surgery within NHS Tayside.

The second strand of NHS Tayside’s support for this new role will see four graduates from the Aberdeen University course recruited in autumn for one-year intern contracts with the aim of securing their services within Tayside on a more permanent basis.

Additionally, NHS Tayside is offering to fund 50% of the £9,000 course fee for the Physician Associate Studies Postgraduate Diploma at Aberdeen University for six students. It is hoped that local students and graduates in science, medical or health subjects from Dundee University, Abertay University and St Andrews University will be encouraged to apply for this funding.

Anyone interested in applying for this funding should visit www.abdn.ac.uk/smd/physician-associate and complete the application form by the closing date of Friday, 8 May. 

Contact:

Gaynyr Dickson

NHS Tayside Communications

01382 740716