Howbeck Healthcare’s Project Management team recently supported the Birmingham & Solihull Physician Associate internship programme. The programme went live on 1st June 2020, delivered through the Birmingham and Solihull Training Hub.
Six Physician Associates (PAs) were successfully recruited and appointed to work across both primary and secondary to offer the best patient care across the local area. The recruitment campaign has been extremely successful with the recruitment campaign attracting a significant proportion of the newly qualified PA workforce, which demonstrates the attractiveness of the joint roles and more so the high quality training and support associated with the internship. In addition, there were a total number of 14 GP practices who expressed an interest for the programme, which ensures that all appointable PAs have been successfully aligned.
The programme, jointly supported by HEE and NHSE, and Howbeck Healthcares Project Management team will support GP practices to host a PA who are newly qualified/within 1st year post qualification for a 12 month internship. The programme is run jointly with Birmingham Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Forward Thinking Birmingham (Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust) along with 5 GP practices.
The six Physician Associates will be working 2.5 days a week in primary care; 2 days in Mental Health in secondary care and 0.5 day for formal teaching provided by Birmingham and Solihull’s dedicated teaching team of a Senior Clinical Tutor and Senior Physician Associate.
As they are one of only a few Physician Associate Internships to offer this structured programme of work, Birmingham and Solihull are being closely observed from various organisations across the country. For further information please contact Lucy Minshull – Lucy@howbeckhealthcare.co.uk