physician associates

Calls mount for independent review into physician associates

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/calls-mount-independent-review-physician-associates

A general view of medical equipment on a NHS hospital ward at Ealing Hospital in London

LEADING medics demanded an independent review into physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) to investigate concerns around patient safety today.

Plans have been outlined to expand the number of PAs and AAs across the NHS to 10,000 by 2037.

Unlike doctors, who study medicine for five years and undertake two years of placements, medical associates qualify from a two-year master’s degree.

The roles have faced backlash over concerns that they will replace trained doctors.

This intensified after a 29-year-old woman died in 2022 after being misdiagnosed twice by a PA she thought was a GP.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting and NHS chief Amanda Pritchard to call for a rapid review to “clarify claims around their safety and usefulness in patient-facing roles” and examine if the roles are cost effective, efficient and safe for patients.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/calls-mount-independent-review-physician-associates

Continue ReadingCalls mount for independent review into physician associates

Welsh Government backs use of ‘unqualified doctors’ despite safety concerns

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NHS emblem

https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-government-backs-use-of-unqualified-doctors-despite-safety-concerns/

The Welsh Government has defended the employment by NHS Wales of partially trained medics known as “physician associates”, despite concerns that they can pose a danger to patients.

PAs, as they are referred to, receive some medical training, but it falls far short of the level required for qualification as a doctor.

Critics argue they are a cost-cutting measure and fear safety standards are being compromised.

An assessment carried out by Health Education England (HEE) , and considered by all four of the UK’s health departments, concluded that patients were at high risk of harm from PAs. The health departments have therefore recommended the introduction of statutory regulation for the profession.

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https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-government-backs-use-of-unqualified-doctors-despite-safety-concerns/

Continue ReadingWelsh Government backs use of ‘unqualified doctors’ despite safety concerns