Curriculum Development: A National Curriculum for Physician Associates in Mental Health

Pranav Mahajan; Helen Crimlisk; Ellie Wildbore; Paris Tatt-Smith; Tony Roth

doi:10.1192/bjo.2022.138

Curriculum Development: A National Curriculum for Physician Associates in Mental Health

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 June 2022

Paris Tatt-Smith and

Pranav Mahajan*: Affiliation:
Health Education Yorkshire & Humber, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Helen Crimlisk: Affiliation:
Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom
Ellie Wildbore: Affiliation:
Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, United Kingdom
Paris Tatt-Smith: Affiliation:
Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom.
Tony Roth: Affiliation:
National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, London, United Kingdom
*: *Presenting author.

Article contents

Abstract

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Abstract

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Aims

Physician associates (PAs) are becoming more commonplace in psychiatric services in the UK to help address long term workforce difficulties. The 2019 NHS Long Term Plan detailed a commitment to transforming mental health care in England recognising that services were not meeting current or future increase in demand. Health Education England's (HEE) report, Stepping Forward to 2020/21: The Mental Health Workforce Plan for England, described a longer-term strategy to expand the mental health workforce, including recruiting 5,000 people into ‘new roles’ including physician associates. The NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan 2019/20–2023/243 stated an aim of recruiting 140 PAs to the workforce over five years in addition to the requirements specified in the HEE report. A curriculum for PAs working in mental health would set out the competencies required to work in mental health services.

Methods

The curriculum was developed by the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH). The work was overseen by an expert reference group, comprising experts in training PAs in mental health, PAs, researchers and experts by experience, all selected for their expertise in research, training and service delivery.

Results

The overarching aims and objectives of the curriculum was to convey a practical understanding of the attitudes, knowledge and skills that underpin the role, thus enabling PAs to offer effective and value-driven support to patients.

The completed curriculum has been arranged into seven modules: Knowledge, Professional/Legal Issues, Engagement and Communication, Diagnostic Assessment and Treatment Planning, Interventions, Managing the Interface of Mental and Physical Health and Team Working. This reflects the expected roles and responsibilities of PAs working in mental health.

Conclusion

HEE and the Royal College of Psychiatrist have recommended all mental health organisations implement an educational programme for new PAs. The curriculum will inform the training requirements for PAs and standardise the training they receive from mental health organisations. It should support the work of PA supervisors and peer coordinators, and those delivering education and training to them. The curriculum will be a dynamic document and work will be needed to adapt it as the role changes, for example with incoming regulation and potential prescribing rights that follow.

Type: Education and Training
Information: BJPsych Open , Volume 8 , Supplement S1: Abstracts of the RCPsych International Congress 2022, 20–23 June , June 2022 , pp. S28 - S29

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2022.138 [Opens in a new window]
Creative Commons: This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.