Physician Associates (PAs)

Physician associates (PAs) are healthcare professionals who work under the supervision of a doctor within multi-disciplinary teams. They are not doctors. PAs usually start out as university graduates with biomedical science or life science degrees or health professionals. This page provides examples of  how a PA can help support the work of the multi-disciplinary team. We also have information to help organisations and medical teams prepare to integrate, support and progress the PA role, enabling them to practice to their full potential. 

PAs are an addition to teams. They're not at the expense of any other healthcare professional team member. They work alongside doctors and allied healthcare professionals to provide medical care across a range of specialties in general practice, community, and hospital settings. PAs work with a dedicated medical supervisor with appropriate support aligned to their knowledge, experience, training and competence.

PAs in Wales

NHS Wales employs over 200 physician associates across 35 specialties. They are present in nine trusts/health boards across Wales and around 35  PAs work in Primary Care.

Regulation of the PA role

Since December 2024 PAs have been  regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC) and can apply to join the register. For PAs currently practising, they will need to join the register by December 2026. For more information, please see the link to the GMC website: Regulating physician associates and anaesthesia associates - GMC

Leng Review

The UK government established an independent review of  physician associates and anaesthesia associates (AAs) professions in England. The findings of the review were published in 2025. The Welsh government accepted the recommendations from the review in principle and an advisory group has been established to evaluate and operationalise the recommendations. These will provide further guidance on how PAs and AAs will continue to work in Wales.

For more information on the Leng review and recommendations, please see the link to the GOV.UK website: Independent review of the physician associate and anaesthesia associate roles: final report - GOV.UK

A day in the life of a PA

These case studies show the day-to-day life and experiences of PAs working across NHS Wales. They include details on the areas of work, as well as tips for fellow PAs or students.