Queensland Update- No Go

[andersenpa]

Qld won't roll out physician assistants

 

"AMA Queensland president-elect Richard Kidd said there was no point in creating another profession that would take jobs away from Australia's doctors. He said there was a shortage of doctors, but not all graduate medical students could find employment.

"We are already producing more medical students and nurses than Queensland Health are employing," Dr Kidd told AAP.

"So it doesn't make sense to create another element in the workforce."

 

 

I wonder what the impetus was for the project.

An allocation gap like we have here?

If the docs aren't going to the jobs, then PAs aren't taking jobs AWAY.

Anyone know more?

[andersenpa]

Borrowed from Dave Mittman at Clinician 1

 

http://www.health.qld.gov.au/publications/pa_eval_final.pdf

 

Long report

Funny, titled "Physician's Assistant"

 

Can't get it right anywhere.

[Eventide]

Thanks for sharing this. What a bummer.

[EMEDPA]

glad I didn't pursue that teaching gig there.....seriously considered it....

[physio]

Borrowed from Dave Mittman at Clinician 1

 

http://www.health.qld.gov.au/publications/pa_eval_final.pdf

 

Long report

Funny, titled "Physician's Assistant"

 

Can't get it right anywhere.

 

"The term ‘physician’ has different meanings in the United States and in Australia. In the United States the term ‘physician’ is

used interchangeably with ‘doctor’. In Australia, the term ‘physician’ applies only to those who have undertaken specialist medical

training. In order to maintain the links with the original role, including scope of practice, clinical qualifications and quality of care

required, and acknowledging the semantic differences of how the term is applied, the title Physician’s Assistant was employed in

Queensland and is used throughout this report to refer to the role."

 

 

funny, then even mention a quasi-justification for it in the report.

[ican]

It looks like the Australian Medical Association is really opposing this because they're afraid of midlevels. In the meantime, nurse practitioners are flourishing within Australia.

 

It also seems that Queensland simply doesn't want to be the only state doing this. "Queensland Health Minister Paul Lucas says the state won't roll out physician assistants (PAs) without national consensus."

[cp16]

So why have multiple PA training programs opened up in Australia...? What will they do with these new grads if the profession isn't being implemented? From reading the report it seems as if they're still unsure and want more testing, not that it's a definite no..