According to Wikipedia (I know, its not infallible), "PAs were introduced in 2003. They support the work of the healthcare team, but are dependent clinicians requiring supervision from a physician. They cannot prescribe medications nor request ionising radiation investigations (e.g., x-ray) in the UK.
I saw one a while ago, she was described as a Physician Associate but no one explained exactly what she was allowed to do. I agree with your suggestion that requiring them to wear a special uniform and describe their status in advance would be a good idea as some clarification is needed. |