Will the Cabinet Secretary outline what action the Welsh Government is taking to support the training and employment of Physician Associates in Wales?
The role of the Physician Associate has the potential to make a positive contribution as part of multi - professional teams in our health care system. On 25 April 2016, the previous Minister for Health and Social Services agreed to provide Welsh Government funding to support a number of education places as part of a pilot approach in Wales. The pilot initially consisted of a programme in Bangor offering 12 places and a programme Swansea offering 15 places. The programmes have proved popular and funding has been made available to support an additional cohort in both universities in 2017 and 2018. Support for the Swansea programme for 2017 and 2018 has increased from 15 to 20 places
The programme consists of a two year education programme with an internship of one year post qualification. Individuals are eligible to apply for support through the NHS Wales Bursary providing they commit to work in Wales for 18 months post qualification.
One of the limiting factors in introducing the role of Physician Associate in Wales has been concerns raised by NHS employers about the lack of statutory regulation. There has been ongoing dialogue between the UK Government and the devolved administrations about this matter. Both I and my predecessor have been clear that we want to see this role regulated as soon as is practical. A UK-wide consultation seeking views about the regulation of this and other medical associate roles took place between 12 October 2017 and 22 December 2017. There has been a significant response to this consultation and the feedback is currently being analysed. I await the outcome of this analysis which will inform future policy in this area.
In the interim, and to address some of the concerns raised by employers, the All Wales Physician Associate Governance Framework was developed to ensure consistency of application and to support successful implementation of the Physicians Associate role in both primary and secondary care within Wales. The framework was developed through the Physician Associate Task and Finish Group which included a wide range of stakeholders.
An evaluation will take place during the next year and will assess the impact of this role in Wales. This evaluation will inform future policy.