WHAT ARE THE CHANGES WITH RECERTIFICATION?

As you may know, the FPARCP has announced changes to the Physician Associate recertification process as our profession prepares for GMC oversight in 2024. Recertification is critical in ensuring we have the information and abilities to offer high‑quality patient care.

The most significant change was the removal of the recertification exam. We were the only healthcare profession to retake a qualifying exam for recertification. This is a step towards aligning our profession with the GMC’s processes. The GMC will have its own method for us PAs to demonstrate that we are up to date and fit to practice and will not require a recertification exam.

The GMC’s revalidation process will be based on the following: annual employer appraisals reflections local clinical governance.

This is a similar process to how doctors are already revalidated. More information is available on the GMC’s website.

For initial registration, the GMC will require PAs to: the national exams as a student PA – which will become known as the Physician Associate Registration Assessment (PARA) but no evidence that you passed a recertification assessment. Until GMC regulation is in place, the PAMVR remains in place. And some changes are coming too in that regard. To remain in good standing and listed on the PAMVR, all PAs registered on the PAMVR will be expected to engage with the FPA Core Clinical Practice Curriculum (CCPC) via the FPA ePortfolio beginning in October 2023. The CCPC will be included in this new electronic platform and will cover all the core areas of practice in which a PA is expected to maintain expertise and the areas that have historically been examined during recertification.

Plus, members will be able to log evidence of clinical competence in their ePortfolio by completing the following: direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) mini clinical evaluation exercise (mini-CEX) case-based discussion (CBD) forms, for example, collecting multi-source feedback (MSF) and patient feedback forms, finish the FPA appraisal toolkit record CPD. graduate from a UK university PA programme and pass the PA National Examination (PANE)

The FPA ePortfolio and FPA CCPC will be available to FPARCP members; the FPA has stated this will be a member benefit for all registered PAs on the MVR.

Or graduate from a nationally recognised USA Physician Assistant programme and passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) in the USA to be eligible to practise as a PA in the UK have the knowledge and skills to work safely as a PA in the UK.

The GMC will require proof that you passed

The ePortfolio, when combined with the CCPC, will become the new mechanism for qualified FPA members to maintain their generalist knowledge and skillset. It will also allow fellow PAs to demonstrate their evolving speciality-related clinical knowledge.

Remember to maintain your CPD and curriculum competency and participate in the ePortfolio when it is launched. Until otherwise instructed, continue to log your CPD in the CPD diary. However, all FPA members are still obliged to follow the FPA code of conduct, maintain their generalist skills, complete the FPA’s CPD requirements, and, beginning in October 2023, engage with the new ePortfolio.