Medicine:Physicians' assistant (anaesthesia)

In the United Kingdom , a physicians' assistant (anaesthesia), abbreviated to PA(A), is a healthcare worker who provides anaesthesia under the medical direction and supervision of a consultant anaesthetist. PA(A)s are not medical doctors, and enter the role by completing a 27 month full-time training programme which leads to the award of a postgraduate diploma. To be eligible, a candidate must have a previous degree in a biomedical or science subject, or recognised previous healthcare experience in another role.

Despite the similarity of the name, the role is distinct from physician associate, which refers to a non-medical practitioner who works in areas of medicine other than anaesthesia.