Hannah Briggs

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@ClearThinker66 @itsdoctormighty @medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers I’m not necessarily talking about medicine. Other HCP roles, other industries

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@ClearThinker66 @itsdoctormighty @medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers Advice, recognition of prior learning, funding towards conversion courses, help transitioning into other sectors. Just something more than “good luck”!

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@Janeajnet @medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers Most PA students already have a BSc followed by an MSc. That’s 5 years of higher education and significant student debt. People can retrain, but pretending it’s easy or affordable for thousands of graduates who aren’t at fault isn’t realistic

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@Janeajnet @medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers There was debate, yes. There wasn’t an expectation that the profession would effectively collapse. If that had been the widely accepted view in 2023, why was the NHS simultaneously investing in expanding it?

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers No, I think if the role is to continue some changes need to be made (should’ve been made a while ago but we’re here now). But to be honest, I’d much rather it be scrapped and retraining options explored than being left in limbo like we have been

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers To my knowledge, there are 2 people in my cohort working as PAs now and 1 from the previous year. Cohorts were 35 ish students

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers I don’t know what the best solution is but the general consensus from my cohort is support to retrain and recognition for the impact on us. Many of us still want to work in the NHS and care for patients, but now we can’t afford to retrain as other HCPs 1/

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers a PA Master’s isn’t a qualification that’s widely understood outside healthcare, making it difficult to pivot elsewhere. I’ve been lucky and have begun building a career elsewhere, but I know most of my cohort have struggled 2/

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers I’m not trying to argue here, nor am I trying to defend the PA role itself. I think we agree on more than you realise

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers They’re obviously linked, but not the same issue. Regardless of where royal colleges and others stand on the PA role, I’d hope there could be some common ground that recent graduates who entered in good faith shouldn’t simply be left behind and forgotten about

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers 2 separate issues here in my opinion. First is whether the PA role should actually exist and if so what that looks like (my understanding is this is what umaps is focusing on). Second is what happens to us lot caught up in everything that’s happened in recent years 1/

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers That’s fair. So would you support calls to gov from PA graduates for funded retraining/ transitional support?

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@medicalmodelbri @itsdoctormighty Not that I’m aware of. I was in the 2023 cohort. At that time the long term workforce plan was calling for PA expansion so think how it was advertised was fair. 24/25 cohorts I’m not so sure. Although uclan do have a disclaimer re leng review on the course page now

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@valhumphreys51 @medicalmodelbri @lengreview I think the damage has been done now to be honest!

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@itsdoctormighty @medicalmodelbri What you’re doing is great Donya! But I don’t think it should fall onto individuals to solve this. Gov needs to recognise the graduates who’ve been caught in the middle, because most simply can’t afford to retrain after investing so much into this career

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@medicalmodelbri @NHSEmployers I agree with this, but some didn’t have a previous profession. Regardless of your stance of PAs, many graduates entered the course in good faith and have now been left behind unfortunately

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@pinapolk @medicalmodelbri Do you think they should have any support to do so?

[Hannah Briggs @hhannahbriggs]

@medicalmodelbri Do you think they should have any support to do so?