A Physician Assistant at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) was astonished to discover she had won a national award after being invited to attend her organisation’s annual conference.

Alexandra Curran is the proud winner of the PA of the Year award which has been awarded for the first time by her national body, the UK Association of Physician Assistants (UKAPA).

The association, which has just voted to change its professional title from Physician Assistant to Physician Associate, was holding its national conference at the Uffculme Centre in Moseley.

Alex, aged 26, from Bournville, said: “I didn’t even find out that I had been nominated for the award until the day of the conference, which I was already attending.

“I hadn’t even been given a heads up. So, I didn’t think anything of it when they read out the names of PA’s who had been shortlisted.”

“When they read my name out I was completely surprised. It was really nice to be recognised for your hard work, and for that hard work to be appreciated by others.”

Alex, who received a plaque with her award, subsequently discovered that she had been nominated by her senior, Consultant in Acute Medicine, Dr Vinay Reddy-Kolanu.

There are only around 250 PA’s in the country, both practising and in university programmes.

A physician assistant is a dependent health care professional who has been trained in the medical model and works with supervision of a doctor or surgeon. PA’s obtain medical histories, conduct comprehensive physical exams, request and interpret tests, diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries, and counsel on preventive heath care.

Consultants within the Clinical Decisions Unit have added that PA’s offer a ‘framework of stability’ within a constantly changing environment and can therefore offer enhanced continuity of care.

To become a PA, you need a BSc Hons degree in a medical-related science and then a further two years at a university medical school studying for a post-graduate diploma in Physician Association studies.

Nominations for the national award could be submitted by patients, colleagues including fellow PA’s, or line managers.