In very simply terms the NHS seems to be employing people called Physician Associates (PA) and passing them off as fully qualified Doctors – both in hospitals and at GP Practices.
They are not supposed to be a replacement for Doctors – but are being used as such.
Patients must consent to any intervention and this must be “informed consent”. It is not clear that patients are aware that the health professionals seeking consent are not doctors. This cannot be considered to be “informed consent”.
There are documented examples of Associates undertaking surgical procedures for which they are not qualified.
The NHS is refusing to fund the appointment of fully qualified doctors but is funding the recruitment of PA s – and paying the PAs more than qualified Doctors get.
The General Medical Council regulates the UK’s Doctors. It wants to take on the Regulation of PA s (despite it not having the powers or remit to do so).
The GMC undertook a public consultaion about the use of PA s but they have refused to publish the results of this consultation and what people said in the consultation. Indeed this organisation hasn’t the remit or power to regulate PA s but is doing so.
There seem to be no established rules to which the PA s work to. Many Doctors are saying that this, and the use to which PA s are being put, is unsafe.
The NHS has vacancies for new Doctors, GP s and Anaesthetists – yet many thousands of newly qualified Doctors etc can’t get positions. I saw that 3,000 new Doctors applied for the 300 roles which the NHS is making available. That is, the NHS is refusing to fund the recruitment of Doctors despite there being a shortage of Doctors in the NHS.
It is fair to say that fully qualified Doctors are angry and very suspicious.
Steven Boxall
Political Education Officer