NZ trialling new role

A new breed of health worker is being trialled in one of New Zealand's biggest hospitals. Called a physician assistant, the role is somewhere between a nurse and a doctor, and it is hoped that the change will help ease the growing health workforce crisis.

Two physician assistants, or PAs, visiting from the US are now at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital, as part of a pilot scheme. University-trained in Health Sciences, PAs have been a mainstay in the US medical system for decades. Their work includes ordering tests, chasing up results and organising discharges, all under the formal supervision of clinicians.

Surgeon Andrew Connelly said he is impressed by what the role can offer: "They've exceeded all our expectations by some distance."

Junior doctors also see the benefit, with PAs also helping out with tasks such as paperwork.