Physician Associates Regulation To Boost Access To Quality Care Across Aotearoa

The announcement that Physician Associates (PAs) will soon be regulated in New Zealand is a significant milestone in strengthening our healthcare system at a time the sector is under strain.

The Government today announced that PAs will be regulated in New Zealand https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/physician-associates-be-regulated-workforce.

This long-anticipated move marks a major step toward improving timely access to high quality healthcare.

Physician Associates (PAs) are highly-trained health care providers with thousands of hours of clinical training who work as part of multidisciplinary teams to assess, diagnose, treat, and manage patients. They work under the supervision of doctors but operate with a high degree of autonomy, supporting continuity of care, reducing wait times, and improving access to essential medical appointments.

New Zealand Physician Associate Society (NZPAS) Regulation Chair, Lisa deWolfe, says regulation ensures patients across Aotearoa will benefit from a proven, international health workforce that are now used in numerous countries —at a time when our health system needs it most.

“The majority of PAs already working in New Zealand work in rural or underserved communities. Regulation opens a pathway to bringing more PAs to Aotearoa and is a solution to health inequities in hard-to-staff and remote areas.”

“It will also enable PAs to work to the full extent of their training within healthcare teams — improving efficiency, continuity of care, and outcomes for patients,” deWolfe says.

The regulation of PAs will also pave the way for a local training programme, helping to build a sustainable workforce that can meet New Zealand’s growing health needs.

About 50 PAs are already working across 29 clinics throughout the motu. PAs complement existing healthcare roles—especially GPs—by bringing more hands to the frontlines of care, and helping manage rising patient demand.

During the 2010–2015 Physician Associate pilot programme, over 90 percent of doctors and nurses reported being satisfied with the contribution of PAs in their clinics. Across 30,000 patient visits, there were no adverse outcomes — a standard that has been upheld with more than 340,000 patients seen in the past six years. Regulation under the New Zealand Medical Council will help maintain and strengthen this high standard of care.

Pinnacle Group Clinical Director, Dr Jo Scott-Jones, says regulation will provide countless benefits to multidisciplinary medical teams across the country.

“Evidence shows the importance to whānau of being connected with a service in their community that at first contact can offer them comprehensive, coordinated care, with continuity. PAs allow us to deliver this,” he says .

“We have worked with 29 PAs in primary care for over 10 years and know the value of having an associate who can assist delivery of care to patients within the team.”

Scott-Jones says he is confident the addition of physician associates to teams would bring more diversity in thinking, more skills, and more capacity to provide patients with access to care.

NZPAS will work closely with the Ministry of Health and sector partners to support the implementation of a strong regulatory framework that continues to protect the public while enabling innovation in healthcare delivery.

For more information on PAs visit the NZPAS website.

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