An exploration of the Student journey for the Professional identity of the physician associate as a catalyst of change and innovation to support a future Healthcare Workforce

The introduction of the new role of the physician associate (PA) has the potential to redefine, disrupt, challenge and provide solutions to workforce challenges in healthcare organisations. Introducing the PA role may cause confusion and threat to other practitioners and disruption in organisations who do not understand the parameters of this role and how it might complement an existing workforce. This research sought to establish the challenges of implementing the role of the PA into UK healthcare practice by understanding the PA student journey with other practitioners who may work alongside them. The study seeks to understand how PAs could contribute to the evolvement of healthcare in the UK and to put forward recommendations as to how they can be supported to effectively contribute to the NHS through their role. This study also aimed to challenge what action should be taken to successfully implement the PA role and how such an innovation might evolve by listening to the views of future PAs and stakeholders. Through achieving this aim, the study will challenge new ways of working using effective business models to support innovation and change and challenges whether the PA might become a ‘disruptive innovation’ and create a new market for healthcare services in the future. Existing literature acknowledges a significant gap in research in this uncontested field of healthcare practice and calls for further research. This study aims to address the gap by offering new insight into understanding the views of PA students and stakeholders about what might enable, support or threaten this journey.