GPs have branded a scheme aimed at bringing in physician associates (PAs) to help practices as “gimmicky” and unlikely to meet its target, as so far only 35 out of a hoped-for 200 have actually been recruited.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said last year that under a scheme called the National Physician Associate Expansion Programme (NPAEP), 1,000 PAs would be recruited to work alongside GPs by 2020 but the London trust spearheading the recruitment drive, which is targeting suitable professionals in the US by offering them a salary of £50,000 and generous benefits, have only offered jobs to six new PAs for general practice.

The idea is that the PAs would be deployed across primary and secondary care for two years where they would take on tasks such as conducting comprehensive physical examinations, obtaining medical histories and diagnosing and treating some illnesses and injuries.

The ads placed in the States last summer offered experienced candidates salaries of £50,000, 33 days’ paid leave and a financial contribution towards relocation. However, only 184 applications had been received by early November and by mid-January only 35 provisional offers had been made, with no idea as to how many candidates would accept the offered position.

According to the board at the London trust, there will be a full update on the programme in March and added that, although it is likely that NPAEP will continue to run, it will be with smaller numbers than originally envisaged.

However, many doctors have described the programme as “gimmicky”, with one London GP saying she could not see what a PA could do that a good practice nurse or nurse practitioner could not.