I graduated from St George's, University of London in 2016. Previously I was a Diabetes Dietitian for almost 15 years working in both acute and community settings. I have worked in primary care since qualifying as a PA and am now the lead PA for College Health in Thurrock, Essex. We employ 10 physician associates across our practices. I have been seconded to work for HEE as the lead physician associate ambassador for the East of England. I am also the on the faculty of physician associates as part of the professional standards committee.
My name is Mehreen Shafiq and I am a Physician Associate currently working in primary care within Luton. I completed my training at University of Birmingham in 2018 and relocated to Milton Keynes in 2019. I chose to work in Primary Care as I enjoyed the continuity from seeing patients in addition to working amongst a variety of skill mix within a GP setting. Since relocating I have also acted as the PA ambassador for BLMK with an aim to increase the awareness of PAs and their role in primary care through preceptorships, student placements and mentoring.
My name is Josh Russell and I’m the Physician Associate Ambassador for Norfolk and Waveney.
I qualified as a PA from the UEA as part of the second ever PA cohort, in January 2019, and I have since been working in a GP practice in the town of Aylsham in north Norfolk.
I chose a career in primary care due to the excellent placement experience I had during my second year of study. I enjoyed the broadly undifferentiated presentations that you just don’t see in the hospital setting outside of acute units and ED and, unlike the hospital front door, the follow ups. The ability to see the same patients time and time again and see the difference you can make to people’s lives was an incredible draw, and one that has kept me in the primary care setting.
North Norfolk, as for Norfolk and Waveney in general, has its relatively remote regions, so employing and retaining practitioners in the area can be difficult and challenging for practices. Becoming an Ambassador, I hope to not only assist practices attract and employ PA’s but also make the experience of the region a positive one for those working here. To help develop progression of the role in the area as well as progression of the PA’s working here to ensure a more fulfilling place of employment which will hopefully lead retention of staff and satisfaction of PA’s in their role.
My name is Luke Selfe and I am a Physician Associate ambassador for Suffolk & north east Essex. I qualified and started my career as a Physician Associate in January 2018 having graduated from the inaugural Physician Associate studies class of UEA.
Throughout my studies I was on placement in a GP surgery bordering Essex, Suffolk & Cambridge. I was offered a job as their first Physician Associate and remain there nearly 3 years later! My role as a Physician Associate in primary care has been varied, initially with minor illness clinics, then managing Hypertension patients, and being the team leader for our non-GP clinicians. I am now responsible for our electronic triage system and manage the day-to-day triage list as well as any feedback or complaints that arise.
As a new Physician Associate ambassador, I share my ‘patch’ with my secondary care colleague James Catton. Between us we are trying to recruit more PAs into Suffolk; a considerably difficult task given the rural nature of many practices. We also hope to foster new relationships with the local Mental Health trust, potentially leading to Physician Associates working in mental health and psychiatry roles.
In future I hope to continue the ambassador role and provide a link between employers and prospective PA candidates throughout the region.
My name is James Catton and I am a Physician Associate Ambassador for Suffolk and north east Essex. I also work in Acute Medicine at the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St. Edmunds and in GP practice in Stowmarket. I have been working as a registered PA for 2 years. I was in the first cohort of PA students to train from the Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia and was the UEA student rep for the Faculty of PAs board. My GP practice is part of a super-partnership of practices across east Suffolk and we are recruiting more and more PAs all the time. In GP, I triage my own list of undifferentiated patients online and over the phone, provide advice, see appropriate patients face to face, support the duty doctor and perform home visits. In the acute assessment unit at the hospital, I sometimes see patients I’ve referred in from my GP clinics. In the hospital, I clerk new patients as they come into the department and work with the consultants to keep the patient flow going. I also teach the PA students we have on placement. I’ve been involved in writing governance documents and policies for PAs in both primary and secondary care.
More information coming soon
My name is Pauline Weir and I am a Physician Associate ambassador for Mid & South Essex. I graduated from St George's, University of London in 2016. Previously I was a Diabetes Dietitian for almost 15 years working in both acute and community settings. I have worked in primary care since qualifying as a PA and am now the lead PA for College Health in Thurrock, Essex. We employ 10 physician associates across our practices. I have been seconded to work for HEE as the lead physician associate ambassador for the East of England. I am also the on the faculty of physician associates as part of the professional standards committee.