The Faculty of Physician Associates (FPA) at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) was the professional membership body for physician associates (PAs) in the United Kingdom. Established in 2015, it was responsible for reviewing and setting standards for the education and training of physician associates, and it managed the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR).[1][2]
| Established | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Affiliations | Royal College of Physicians of London |
| Website | www |
Its predecessor organisation was the UK Association of Physician Assistants (UKAPA), which was created in 2005.[3] The UKAPA voted to change the name of their profession to physician associates in 2013 after the Department of Health and Social Care advised that being called "assistants" could prove an obstacle to securing statutory regulation of the profession.[4]
The RCP approved the membership of the president of the FPA to its governing council in 2018 with full voting rights.[5][6] In 2022 the president of the organisation was Jamie Saunders who worked in haematology at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and its vice-president was Chandran Louis who works in urology at St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.[7][8] Saunders and Louis both resigned in June 2024.[9]
After the Royal College of Physicians held an extraordinary general meeting in 2024 on the topic of physician associates, it was announced that the FPA would become independent of the RCP within a year.[10] In September 2024 it was announced that the faculty would close permanently on 31 December. From 13 December 2024, the General Medical Council became the statutory regulator for physician associates and it assumed responsibility for registration and conduct issues, although the PAMVR remained accessible on the FPA website to allow for a two-year transition period until December 2026.
References
edit- ^ "Faculty of Physician Associates". Royal College of Physicians. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
- ^ "New Faculty of Physician Associates launched today". Royal College of Physicians. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
- ^ "Who are physician associates?". Faculty of Physician Associates. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ "Physician associates – background to the profession". Royal College of Physicians. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ "RCP Council members as at 14 June 2023". Royal College of Physicians. p. 2. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ "Standing Orders" (PDF). Faculty of Physician Associates. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ "Faculty of Physician Associates new president and vice president announced". Royal College of Physicians. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
- ^ "Medical Specialists". African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ "Faculty of Physician Associates leadership update". Royal College of Physicians. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "RCP EGM: next steps announced". Royal College of Physicians. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
 | This article about a UK medical organisation, hospital, or association is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |