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US medics counter NHS shortages

Physician Assistants aim to counter recruitment problems
A West Midlands Hospital Trust is turning to the United States to ease a recruitment problem in its accident and emergency departments.
Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust is believed to be the first in England to employ five Physician Assistants(PA).

The new recruits are science graduates with two-years medical training.

A trust spokesman said the PAs provide a level of expertise greater that some trainee doctors.

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I see myself as an ambassador for the profession which is not recognised outside the United States

PA Jami Smith

Hugh Bradby, the trust's medical director, said hospitals across England had expressed an interest in the scheme.

"There's a general shortage of expertise in A&E and the type of junior doctor working in A&E in the future will be very much at trainee level," he said.

"Some of the PAs are highly skilled in Emergency Room medicine and are used to dealing with the same type of incidents we see here every day."

Two of the PAs are based at City Hospital and three are working at the accident and emergency department of Sandwell Hospital.

Jami Smith, one of the PAs, said: "I see myself as an ambassador for the profession which is not recognised outside the United States.

"I think we provide a good service and there is such a need over here for emergency staff. "

Birmingham University is evaluating the scheme with a view to UK-based training and accreditation.

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