Pharmacist numbers in primary care networks (PCNs) have increased the most during the last quarter according to the latest data on additional roles reimbursement scheme (ARRS) hires.
The quarterly primary care workforce figures show an extra 193 clinical pharmacists employed by PCNs between December 2024 and March 2025, taking the total to 7,446 FTE.
The second highest increase was in general practice assistants, which now number 2,764 across PCNs after an increase of 94 over the quarter.
Pharmacists, care coordinators and social prescribers continue to be the three most popular roles recorded by the statistics.
However, the number of social prescribers and first contact physios employed by PCNs have fallen according to the statistics.
The number of social prescribers fell by 63 to 3,479 full-time equivalent roles (FTE) between December 2024 and March 2025, while the number of first contact physiotherapists dropped to 2,115 FTE, down 41 across the same period.
Physician associate numbers also continued to fall for the fourth consecutive quarter, down 32 to 1,891 FTE.
The number has been steadily decreasing since the summer, following the controversy surrounding the role and reports of redundancies.
Last month it was revealed that more than 1,800 PAs had registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) since regulation of the profession began in December 2024.
The statistics showed the net change in direct patient care staff since March 2019 when PCNs were introduced was now a total of 36,190 FTE roles, as recorded in the NWRS and ARRS claims portal data.
However, at present this quarterly data does not include the new GP role figures, which have recently been reported at over 1,500 now employed through ARRS.
It comes as it was revealed that PCNs underspent by £88m on ARRS roles in 2023/24.
The quarterly primary care workforce figures, combine the National Workforce Reporting Service (NWRS) submissions and the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) claims data to give a picture of ARRS PCN staff across England.
A version of this article was first published on our sister title Pulse PCN.
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