A job advertisement has sparked interest in whether Queensland is looking to expand the number of physician’s assistants in the state.
Queensland is back to flirting with the idea of bringing physician assistants into the state, with a recent job opening sparking online discourse.
The state’s drama with PAs most recently kicked off back in July 2024 when a leaked business case emerged online that proposed the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service should up its current PA workforce from three to 16 full-time equivalent roles.
The majority of the controversy surrounding PA roles stems from grievances in the UK over the expanding role of PAs as a sidestep to addressing issues facing doctor shortages.
The prospect of this role travelling across the pond has not been met well by Australian GPs, who have expressed concerns over how this could fragment care and undermine the need to address GP workforce shortages.
Queensland Health director-general Dr David Rosengren said back in January 2025 that the state is still only exploring the idea of further integration of PAs and how the role would interact in the broader health system.
“To ensure our clinical workforce operates at maximum scope of practice, we are exploring opportunities to grow our traditional workforce while also innovating and adapting alternative models of service delivery,” he told TMR at the time.
“This approach reflects a global trend, as health systems worldwide evolve to meet increasing demands, and we cannot afford to be left behind.”
The latest advertised position is at Townsville University Hospital’s Emergency Department and has been described as a role in which the successful application would work both collaboratively and independently under a supervising consultant or delegate.
“Operating within the clinical governance framework of QHEALTH, EDPA’s practice includes the assessment, diagnosis and management of both acute and fast track patients, with triage categories 2 to 5 (inclusive) in the TUH ED,” the job brief reads.
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“We provide structured career pathways, secondments, and training programs.
“Whether advancing in clinical specialties, Digital Health, or leadership, staff benefit from mentorship and strong ties with James Cook University.”
The promised pay rate of up to $67.53 per hour matches that of fourth-year post-graduate doctors. The permanent part-time position offers 19 hours per fortnight.
