PA | New Forest PCN

Physician Associate Role

Lucy Butterworth

My name is Lucy Butterworth and I am a Physicians Associate. I have had a wide and varied Midwifery career, including working in delivery suites, being a Community Midwife with my own caseload within the Forest Team and have done work for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).

I wanted to be able to care for women outside of pregnancy and childbirth and work in primary care. Re-training as a Physician Associate (PA) has enabled me to do this. My Masters Dissertation project looked at Menopause care. I worked with Dr Janssen on a Menopause Group consultation model of care and became involved in the PCN’s Menopause Support Group.

Qualifications:

Registered Physician Associate
MSc Physician Associate Studies
BSc Hons Midwifery
Registered Midwife

What is a Physician Associate or PA?

Physician Associates (PAs) are Health Care Professionals (HCPs) who work as part of a multi-disciplinary team providing care to patients in primary, secondary and community care settings
PAs are supervised by a named senior doctor
PAs are part of the Government’s Medical Associate Professions (MAPs) health and care workforce programme
PAs have been working in UK since 2003 and the role was developed in the US in the 1960s
The profession has gone from strength to strength in the UK, with the adoption of the managed voluntary register (MVR) Faculty of Physician Associates
The GMC is to regulate PAs from December 2024

My role in New Forest PCN

Support menopause group education sessions based at Chawton House Surgery (available to all network patients). I provide two of the six sessions on HRT and alternatives to hormone therapy.
Provide clinical appointments focusing on menopause care, menstrual problems and contraception advice. These are currently at Wistaria and Milford Surgeries only but with a plan to roll out to other surgeries in the future.
Support in the reducing the risk of Heart Attack and Stroke in our population through medication but also lifestyle changes.
Exploring the use of group education covering other areas of health promotion.