Funding while doing postgraduate course.

[TwoWithCurls]

I'm thinking about studying for a Physician Associate qualification, which is a 2 year, full time postgraduate course. My husband works full time. Would we be eligible for any funded childcare, over and above the 15 free hours you get when they turn 3? Thanks for any light you can shed on this, as I can't find anything online, but I'm hoping I may have missed something.

No, students aren't classed as working and therefore not eligible.

The government needs people to train for this position though, seems like there should be some funding?

OK. Sorry I don't work for the government so can't answer that.

I'd be wary of doing this qualification. There's a lot of backlash against it as PAs are being used to plug the gap where there aren't enough GPs, but they aren't sufficiently well qualified for what they're being asked to do. I'd be very wary about the long term job security.

See I think it's the opposite. The numbers will increase, because there simply aren't enough GPs.

Agree in the short term, but it's a role I think could be very vulnerable to the views of the government of the day.

No, you wouldn’t be eligible for the additional funding unless you’re working alongside studying

if full time take a look

https://www.gov.uk/childcare-grant

Honestly I wouldn't. It's a course with limited future.

I agree with the others about it having a limited future, but that's besides the point. No, there's no additional funding for childcare.

Honestly, if you want to work in healthcare, do a proper course. Nursing, paramedic etc. not a mickey mouse one.

Why do you think the govt like PAs? The qualification isn't recognised abroad and there's very little demand in the private sector. So PAs are stuck in the NHS.

Ugh. It's not a Mickey Mouse course. What a silly thing to say.

Why do you think it has a limited future?

As others have said, it's only recognised as part of the NHS and has basically come about because of one government's policy. I think another government could quite easily scrap the whole initiative, and there has been plenty of bad press with PA's in the media already. I just don't think it's a long term option.

@FriendlyNeighbourhoodAccountant I haven't seen the bad press, I'll have a look into it. But I can't see anyone scrapping the post, because it's a cost saving measure. I think the post is modelled on that in the USA, where they've had PA's for a while. The fact you can't work as a PA in the private sector isn't of interest to me. You can't work as a paramedic in the private sector either, for example.

Because paramedics are primarily emergency responders and emergency care is always via NHS, the equivalent of a PA in private healthcare wouldn't be for emergency care. Like I said it's just my opinion, the answer to your original question is no there isn't additional funding for childcare. It would need to either be covered by your husband or you'd have to wait until your youngest starts school and reduces to wrap around only to save money.

@FriendlyNeighbourhoodAccountant ugh 😩 I've just found the bad press you were talking about, and I definitely don't want to be a part of something potentially dangerous. I had assumed there'd be proper regulations/clearly defined role to prevent that, but it seems not. Very disappointing, as it seemed a good way to work for the NHS in a 9-5 role, when training to be a doctor isn't really a viable option for me at this point in my life.

For anyone else currently showing an interest in the PA role: www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-centre/new-survey-shows-shocking-scale-of-concern-from-doctors-over-use-of-physician-associates

That article sums it up very succinctly, but yes this is why I (and others) think it may be a short lived "solution" rather than a long term position within the NHS. At least in the way it's currently being used. I hope you find something suitable, with the funding not being ideal it may be easier to wait until your youngest is in school and by that point there may be something better that's come along.

I've worked with PAs and IMO they add nothing to patient care and are very expensive. Many of the courses have 100% pass rate which doesn't suggwst high academic rigour.