The Association of Physicians’ Assistants (Anaesthesia) represents it’s members, and holds the Managed Voluntary Register. The register is a pre-requisite for HPC recognition, but equally significant, (Trainees take note) the Royal College of Anaesthetists has written to all NHS Trusts advising them to employ only registered PA(A)s.

In addition, members of the Association also benefit from;

• Discounted fees for our annual conference (the discount being equivalent to 100% of the membership fee). A fantastic opportunity to meet your colleagues from across the UK, with a strong PA(A)-relevant educational core.
• Free admission to the Managed Voluntary Register for qualified PA(A)s; the cost of registration alone is equivalent to that annual membership.
• Access to the member’s on-line forum. This is a lively forum which we use to share information, ask for advice and help, air our concerns, debate current issues, and generally keep in touch with one another. (It is by turns, reassuring, alarming, infuriating or hilarious, but rarely boring!)
• The opportunity to attend the Annual General Meeting of the APA(A), have your say, stand for committee membership, vote in committee elections.
• These are ‘interesting’ times for Physicians’ Assistants (Anaesthesia). The NHS is bracing itself for the upheaval that will be the inevitable result of Mr. Lansley’s reforms, and we are likely to be as vulnerable as anyone is when cutbacks are mooted.
  
  This comes at a time when we are, thanks largely to the endless hard work & tenacity of one our Founder Members, David Wilkinson, within touching distance of real recognition as a profession in our own right; regulation by the Health Professions Council.
  
  NHS Trusts, across the nation, are not investing in the training of PA(A)s and it seems unlikely that our number will increase over the next few years, which means that we really are a pretty exclusive bunch.
  
  We’ve come a long way in a relatively short time, and acceptance as part of the anaesthesia team hasn’t always been something we could assume, (some of the ‘veterans’ amongst us can testify to that) but now we have it, let’s hang on to it. We all have three things in common; we’re bright, motivated, and we’re not afraid of a challenge. 
  
  If we want to maintain & drive forward the progress we’ve made so far, we can do it best together. By sharing our experiences and innovations we can work towards demonstrating that every PA(A) is an indispensable part of the anaesthesia team; maximising efficiency, improving patient outcomes and satisfaction, and above all, such good value, it would be pure folly for any Operating Department to try and function without us.
  
  If you’re a Qualified or Trainee PA(A), and not a member of the Association, join us now, and book your study leave for Conference in May; there are less of us than there are members of the Royal Ballet, but together, we can be a force to be reckoned with!
  
  Lisa Bailey SPA(A), Secretary APA(A).
  February 2011

Association of Physicians' Assistants (Anaesthesia) Members Forum Our Associations Google group forum is for trainees and Qualified Physician Assistants in Anaesthesia who are members of APA(A). It gives you the opportunity to communicate with colleagues, be involved in discussions and have access to an archive of helpful information and links. Being a forum member means you will be able to get updates and news from the Association of Physicians' Assistants (Anaesthesia) straight to your inbox.

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APA(A) Membership Only : £30.00GBP - yearly APA(A) & Managed Voluntary Register : £30.00GBP - yearly Managed Voluntary Register Only : £30.00GBP - yearly

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