PA profession in Scotland

Physician associates (PAs) have featured among multidisciplinary care teams in the Scottish health care system for the last 19 years and have gradually become an established profession. Despite this, there remains no clear pathway for career progression for experienced PAs. This study used an original questionnaire, in addition to publicly available workforce and education data, to gain insight into the current education, deployment, and career development aspirations of this professional group in Scotland. The questionnaire was sent to all contactable PAs in Scotland before data were thematically analyzed.We found that Scottish PAs are experienced and keen to develop within the National Health Service Scotland workforce; however, they require a better career structure and improved support to allow them to work to their full potential. The establishment of a career progression framework, along with the infrastructure to support it, is urgently needed to support the development of this profession.