In the United Kingdom, a physician assistant in anaesthesia (PAA) is a healthcare worker who provides anaesthesia under the medical direction and supervision of a consultant or specialist anaesthetist. They complete a two-year part-time MSc at University College London or two-year part-time PgDip Lancaster University or a 27-month full-time PgDip at the University of Birmingham. It is classed as a medical associate profession. To be eligible to study for the above courses, a candidate must have a previous degree in a biomedical or biological science subject, or at least three years of recognised previous healthcare experience in another role such as a nurse or operating department practitioner (ODP) and recent academic study.