Physician Associates / Assistants are the downfall of medical care in the UK
We all know the story of the young otherwise healthy 30 year old female who died of a pulmonary embolism (PE) which was put down as anxiety by a physician associate (assistant) not so long ago despite having more obvious symptoms of a PE and was ultimately put down as negligence
Now because of the current state and despite huge backlash from NHS workers and the public, there is STILL a heavy push for physician associates/assistants (PAs) to take on roles they are simply not qualified for. They are even being added to the medical register for doctors (GMC), making it even more difficult to identify a real doctor from a PA!
Here we have another example of a individual in their 50s having all their red flags for cancers ignored for 8 months by physician associates
There are countless stories like this which are currently in a sharp rise because we’re just allowing this to happen. It’s absolutely terrifying to know that this is what the healthcare system is now – being seen and managed by unqualified non-doctors. This really has to stop!
GPs desperately clinging to some form of control.
Associates are fine. It’s a modern world move. You already talk to an untrained receptionist as a gate keeper to the surgery, who already may assign a non GP to see you depending on the complaint. You may see a general nurse, skin specialist nurse, blood nurse. Want psychology your likely first see an IApT service that could be a non degree educated ex service user. You already are asked to just attend pharmacy to get their advice.
A PA will be trained. Will be supervised within surgery.
Why are people so reluctant to see change in the NHS? Our way we do things is rubbish. PA can give greater capacity. Shorter appointment times or even an appointment in the first place.
We can’t magic doctors out of thin air. Pay them more they just go part time sooner. We’re not ever going to pay private rates in the public sector so there will always be some flow. Personally I would add bonding for NHS training but that wouldn’t keep numbers.
So what’s your solution other than poo pooing anything suggested.
Wonder if docs had similar fears when paramedicine came to the UK.
I read the start of that as 8 out of 10 cats and got very confused by the rest.
The headline can be super confusing because I was thinking about the show 8 out of 10
Cats and thought they going after woke
Comedians
This whole push for PAs screams to me that there is some policy makers trying desperately to fill a hole in the nhs. Fewer medical professionals so why not let someone who has barely any training do the job of someone who has 8+ years?
It’s blatant bandage solution. E we need to make a decision to pay for the doctors we need. Train
Have high standards and post and train them
it seems to beA Thing at the moment as a sen Nurse was being cajolled into passing someone’s poor exam results “because she’s Nice” Thankfully she didnt compromise on Standards.
Medics have a long history of objecting to anything that doesn’t prioritise their profession. Opposing the NHS, restrictions on training more doctors are old classics.
There is total denial in this country that the NHS is on the verge of collapse. It’s not because of chronic underfunding or nefarious planning by the people in power seeking to line their own pockets. It’s because supply cannot meet demand. It’s almost like advances in medicine have made us all sicker.
I think we need to accept paying for GP appointments. That is where the NHS is. And if you can’t afford, or the far more likely don’t want to pay, then we need cost efficient alternatives, like Associates.
If we don’t accept the system doesn’t currently work, it is going to collapse and we will be left with private healthcare only.
We as a nation are responsible for crippling the NHS due to our lifestyle choices. The service that managed to overcome diphtheria and polio is being run into the ground by type-2 diabetics and smokers. There is no vaccine for poor decision making unfortunately.
/rant
We do need to find some middle ground with physicians associates in the UK on what we deem them acceptable to do. Responsibilities that used to only be performed by doctors are being given to other healthcare professionals such as prescribing of medications (nurses, pharmacists) or providing physical assessments (Advanced care practitioners).What we need is better defined limits on what physicians associates can do.
I’m a non-medical prescriber (pharmacist) who works within a team, I can prescribe independently but most of what I do prescribe is a team decision (but I actually know what the correct dosages are so it’s me signing the end prescription). Doctors were initially hesitant about non medical prescribers but in certain areas the non-medics do a better job, but there’s so much more to being a doctor than prescribing drugs and I don’t think for one second that I have anywhere near the same overall insight into the patient as medics. PAs unfortunately blur the line a bit as there’s lots of things they do with less training than other healthcare professionals and that’s what I take issue with
There are absolutely concerns here.
But doctors are of course going to be biased here. PAs replace them in certain functions. So you have to be careful and read behind the lines.
I’m sure factory workers would speak out on the dangers of machines replacing their role too.
11 comments
Physician Associates / Assistants are the downfall of medical care in the UK
We all know the story of the young otherwise healthy 30 year old female who died of a pulmonary embolism (PE) which was put down as anxiety by a physician associate (assistant) not so long ago despite having more obvious symptoms of a PE and was ultimately put down as negligence
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-66168798
Now because of the current state and despite huge backlash from NHS workers and the public, there is STILL a heavy push for physician associates/assistants (PAs) to take on roles they are simply not qualified for. They are even being added to the medical register for doctors (GMC), making it even more difficult to identify a real doctor from a PA!
Here we have another example of a individual in their 50s having all their red flags for cancers ignored for 8 months by physician associates
https://twitter.com/Dr_Done_/status/1737239683879641092?t=FZDHEj6nNf187_RZ6Tn2jg
There are countless stories like this which are currently in a sharp rise because we’re just allowing this to happen. It’s absolutely terrifying to know that this is what the healthcare system is now – being seen and managed by unqualified non-doctors. This really has to stop!
GPs desperately clinging to some form of control.
Associates are fine. It’s a modern world move. You already talk to an untrained receptionist as a gate keeper to the surgery, who already may assign a non GP to see you depending on the complaint. You may see a general nurse, skin specialist nurse, blood nurse. Want psychology your likely first see an IApT service that could be a non degree educated ex service user. You already are asked to just attend pharmacy to get their advice.
A PA will be trained. Will be supervised within surgery.
Why are people so reluctant to see change in the NHS? Our way we do things is rubbish. PA can give greater capacity. Shorter appointment times or even an appointment in the first place.
We can’t magic doctors out of thin air. Pay them more they just go part time sooner. We’re not ever going to pay private rates in the public sector so there will always be some flow. Personally I would add bonding for NHS training but that wouldn’t keep numbers.
So what’s your solution other than poo pooing anything suggested.
Wonder if docs had similar fears when paramedicine came to the UK.
I read the start of that as 8 out of 10 cats and got very confused by the rest.
The headline can be super confusing because I was thinking about the show 8 out of 10
Cats and thought they going after woke
Comedians
This whole push for PAs screams to me that there is some policy makers trying desperately to fill a hole in the nhs. Fewer medical professionals so why not let someone who has barely any training do the job of someone who has 8+ years?
It’s blatant bandage solution. E we need to make a decision to pay for the doctors we need. Train
Have high standards and post and train them
it seems to beA Thing at the moment as a sen Nurse was being cajolled into passing someone’s poor exam results “because she’s Nice” Thankfully she didnt compromise on Standards.
Medics have a long history of objecting to anything that doesn’t prioritise their profession. Opposing the NHS, restrictions on training more doctors are old classics.
There is total denial in this country that the NHS is on the verge of collapse. It’s not because of chronic underfunding or nefarious planning by the people in power seeking to line their own pockets. It’s because supply cannot meet demand. It’s almost like advances in medicine have made us all sicker.
I think we need to accept paying for GP appointments. That is where the NHS is. And if you can’t afford, or the far more likely don’t want to pay, then we need cost efficient alternatives, like Associates.
If we don’t accept the system doesn’t currently work, it is going to collapse and we will be left with private healthcare only.
We as a nation are responsible for crippling the NHS due to our lifestyle choices. The service that managed to overcome diphtheria and polio is being run into the ground by type-2 diabetics and smokers. There is no vaccine for poor decision making unfortunately.
/rant
We do need to find some middle ground with physicians associates in the UK on what we deem them acceptable to do. Responsibilities that used to only be performed by doctors are being given to other healthcare professionals such as prescribing of medications (nurses, pharmacists) or providing physical assessments (Advanced care practitioners).What we need is better defined limits on what physicians associates can do.
I’m a non-medical prescriber (pharmacist) who works within a team, I can prescribe independently but most of what I do prescribe is a team decision (but I actually know what the correct dosages are so it’s me signing the end prescription). Doctors were initially hesitant about non medical prescribers but in certain areas the non-medics do a better job, but there’s so much more to being a doctor than prescribing drugs and I don’t think for one second that I have anywhere near the same overall insight into the patient as medics. PAs unfortunately blur the line a bit as there’s lots of things they do with less training than other healthcare professionals and that’s what I take issue with
There are absolutely concerns here.
But doctors are of course going to be biased here. PAs replace them in certain functions. So you have to be careful and read behind the lines.
I’m sure factory workers would speak out on the dangers of machines replacing their role too.