About the FPA

The Faculty of Physician Associates provides professional support to physician associates across the UK. Members of the faculty are part of a professional membership body campaigning for progress and change in the profession, advising government, and taking part in national debates on medical, clinical and public health issues. The FPA reviews and sets standards for:

  • the education and training of physician associates
  • physician associate national certification.

The faculty provides support to both qualified and student physician associates in their education, training and professional development, giving members access to a benefits package that includes a CPD diary, publications, library resources, and discounts on professional development courses and events.

The FPA oversees and administers the running of the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR) and is campaigning to achieve statutory registration of the profession.

For information on how to become a member of the FPA, visit our membership pages.

FPA - About FPA - Our Board - Jamie Saunders

Jamie Saunders, president

Term: August 2022 – August 2025

Jamie graduated from Anglia Ruskin University in 2017 as part of the first cohort of physician associates (PAs) to be trained in Essex. He has since worked in clinical haematology in central London and has a particular interest in haemato-oncology, focusing on myeloid malignancies. He was previously on both the education and communication committees at the British Society for Haematology before joining the FPA Board as a PA representative in 2019. He completed his postgraduate certificate in medical education at Newcastle University in 2020 and is involved in PA education across several universities. His interests lie in clinical education, simulation, and PA scope of practice.

FPA - About FPA - Our Board - Chandran Louis

Chandran Louis, vice president

Term:  August 2022 – August 2026

Chandran graduated from St George's University of London (SGUL) PA programme in 2014. Previously he worked in NHS management. Since qualifying, he has worked clinically in urology at St George's University Hospital. In 2017, Chandran joined St George's University of London physician associate (PA) faculty as a Lecturer and is the written chief examiner for the MPAS Physician associate course. In November 2022, Chandran joined the South East School of Physician Associates (KSS region) as their PA director. Chandran completed his RCP leadership accreditation in 2021 and has previously held roles for Health Education England as a PA ambassador. Additional roles that Chandran holds include: sitting on the question writing board for the physician associate national exam (PANE) and being an external examiner for the PA programme at Swansea University.

Helen Fogg

Helen Fogg, secretary 

Term: October 2022 – October 2025

Helen qualified as a Physician Associate (PA) in 2018 from Canterbury Christ Church University. Prior to this, she was working as a lecturer in further education. Upon qualifying, Helen worked in General Surgery at Medway Hospital before taking up a role in the Emergency Department. Helen has recently been appointed by Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust, where she is part of a team of Lead PAs helping to introduce a large team of PAs into the workforce across acute and emergency care.

FPA - About FPA - Our Board - Pauline Weir

Pauline Weir, qualified PA

Term: November 2021 – November 2025

Pauline graduated as a PA from St George's medical school in 2016. Prior to this she was a diabetes dietitian for over 10 years.​ She has worked as a PA in primary care in Essex for the last 4 years. Pauline has also been working with Health Education England as a PA ambassador since 2018 - this has given her protected time to promote the role of the PA and to try to increase job opportunities for PAs both in primary and secondary care.

Mahnoor Raja

Mahnoor Raja, National student representative 

Mahnoor Raja is a 2nd year physician associate (PA) student at the University of Bradford and studied for an undergraduate degree at the University of Central Lancashire in Operating Department Practice (ODP). Mahnoor has a special interest in the FPA's and RCP's role and is aiming to help fellow student PAs in their training and widening their experience within the role. Upon qualifying as a PA, Mahoor would like to practice inobstetrics and gynaecology/general surgery.

Jade Moore

Jade Moore, senior examiner

Jade qualified as a PA in 2010 and has based her career in primary care since this time. She is now an associate professor of medical education at Anglia Ruskin’s School of Medicine, where she directs the PA programme. Jade has a special interest in assessments, in particular, standard setting, and oversees the PA national examination as the senior examiner.

 

Professor Cathryn Edwards

Professor Cathryn Edwards OBE MA (Oxon) D.Phil FRCP – RCP registrar

Professor Cathryn Edwards is a consultant at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, having trained in gastroenterology at Oxford. Prior to a career in medicine she read Modern History at The Queen’s College. Her D.Phil studies into mucins in the defunctioned colorectum was supported by an MRC fellowship. Her clinical interests are IBD, the microscopic colitidies, anorexia nervosa and upper GI cancer. She established an early bespoke IBD database at Torbay and set up a DNA library as a research resource. Some of her roles nationally have been the National IBD Standards Group the IBD National Audit Steering Committee and the National IBD Registry at its inception.

She is Associate Editor for BMJ_Open gastroenterology and previous editorial roles have been for Frontline gastroenterology as the IBD associate editor and as the medical editor for CCUK’s Patient Magazine 2011. She was the first woman secretary of the BSG 2011-15, co-founding a Network to support women in gastroenterology (SWiG). She was the BSG president 2016-2018 and focused on developing the society as a membership organisation She led a review of all of the BSG’s internal functions including organisational structure, finance and IT further developed the governance infrastructure of the BSG charity. She worked widely with external stakeholders and raised the society’s profile nationally and leading the BSG’s response to COVID-19 Feb- June 2020. Over the last 5 years she has promoted mentorship as a desirable membership benefit, setting a pilot mentoring scheme for female senior trainees before launching this as a Society wide benefit. Cathryn was visiting lecturer at Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town 2015 - 2016. Her roles there were endoscopy training, mentorship and specialty IBD practice. She has been recently offered the position of visiting professor UCT (July 2021) Her non-clinical role in the health care sector is as a Trustee of Rowcroft Hospice, Torquay where she held the role of chair of the board between 2016 and 2019. In March 2021 she was appointed to the role of registrar at the Royal College of Physicians. 

FPA - About FPA - Our Board - Matthew Foster

Matthew Foster, Executive Director, RCP Membership Support and Global Engagement (MSGE)

Matthew is director of the Membership Support and Global Engagement (MSGE) directorate. He is responsible for supporting the membership (including the FPA), professional and global aspects of the RCP, working with the registrar. Matthew has built his career at the RCP over 15+ years, having previously held roles including head of international and director of membership. 

Board meetings also have Stakeholder representation from:

  • Patient Carers Network
  • Royal College of Psychiatrists
  • PA Schools Council
  • Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare
  • The Royal College of Surgeons of England
  • Royal College of General Practitioners

Meet the FPA team

  • Pia Sykes
  • Madison Monk

For more information on the governance and workings of the Faculty, please read the Standing Orders document.

Alexandra Wolley

Alexandra Wolley

FPA devolved nations representative – Wales

Alex graduated from St George’s University of London (SGUL) PA programme in 2012. She has worked clinically in primary care, acute frailty and acute medicine.

As well as in education, where she is a lecturer and the admission tutor for the PA programme at SGUL. She moved to Wales in 2020 to become the Physician Associate Development Manager. She holds national roles for the FPA as an examiner and represents her health board and PAs at HEIW. Alex is also helping to establish the Society of PAs in Wales.

Lia - NI rep

Lia McNamee

FPA devolved nations representative – Northern Ireland

Lia completed her MSc in Physician Assistant Studies from Wakeforest University in the USA in 2008. After graduation, she worked in vascular surgery in Washington before spending a year in Melbourne, Australia working in orthopaedic surgery.

After moving to Northern Ireland in 2011, Lia began working as a Physician Associate in ICU clinical research at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast until the first clinical PA post was created in 2016 in the A&E department, where she has been ever since. Lia has been a keen advocate for the PA profession in NI and has helped at Ulster Universities’ PA programme examining at OSCEs and participating in teaching days.

FPA - About FPA - Our representatives - Sophie MacDonald

Sophie MacDonald

FPA devolved nations representative – Scotland

Sophie graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 2017 and worked in both Vascular Surgery and Acute Medicine at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary before moving to Emergency Medicine at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in April 2020. She has a wider interest in education and in particular, the role of simulation in the context of pre & post qualification development. At a national level, Sophie is involved as a PANE examiner and is an FPA QNPRG member.

In her role as Scotland Representative on the FPA Devolved Nations Board, Sophie hopes to work with PAs across the region to campaign for progress and change, as well as continuing to raise the profile of our great profession as we edge towards regulation.

Debbie Jegede

Debbie Jegede

PA representative – RCP Diversity and Inclusion Delivery Group

Debbie Jegede qualified as a Physician Associate in 2018 from St George’s University and has been the FPA PA representative on the RCP Diversity and Inclusion Delivery Group since 2020.

Her role in the group involves promoting and showcasing equality, diversity and inclusion in the RCP. In her clinical role, Debbie has worked in several specialties including acute medicine, frailty, respiratory and emergency medicine. She currently works in a team of Lead PAs in Barking, Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge Trust to fully integrate PAs into urgent and emergency care.

Silothabo Dliso

Silothabo Dliso

Chair of the FPA Research Committee 

Silothabo is a qualified PA, graduating from the University of Liverpool in 2020. Initially, he worked in gastroenterology and now works in paediatric clinical research at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Silothabo is also an Honorary Fellow of the University in the department of Women and Children’s health. Since 2020 Silothabo has been striving to promote Physician Associates in research, as well as helping to facilitate and support others to engage in research activity.