Responding to the Government’s announcement of a review of Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates (AAs and PAs), BMA council chair Prof Phil Banfield said:
“This Government has acknowledged the concerns of doctors and accepted there is a safety issue with the employment of physician associates. Now the NHS must tell us how they are going to keep patients safe while this review is carried out.
“You do not fly a plane under safety review, you ground it. So we need to know what immediate safety measures NHSE will put in place, how quickly they will pause their PA expansion plans, and in the meantime if they will adopt the BMA’s own guidelines to start protecting patients now.
“The NHS has failed to make the employment of associates safe for patients. By allowing a free-for-all on what PAs can and can’t do, hospitals have become a postcode lottery in which patients don’t know if they are being seen by a professional with the right skills. Only a clear, nationally agreed scope of practice, telling employers what PAs can and can’t do, will clear up this mess. This review must lead to one.
“It is also vital that the review finally gets to the bottom of the use by some hospitals of PAs and AAs in roles that should be filled by fully trained doctors. The Government must not dodge this opportunity to provide a clear picture of what is happening right now to ensure unsafe substitution is immediately reversed.
“Finally, the voice of the doctor must be front and centre. Our members on the frontline are best placed to provide the Secretary of State and his review with the real evidence of what is happening on the ground, right now. Only by listening to them can this review have any hope of leading to lasting change.
“It should never have got to this point. But now that we're here let's work together to provide certainty for patients - with clear guidelines, clear job titles, clear roles. Let's not waste this opportunity.”
Notes to editors
The BMA is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. A leading voice advocating for outstanding health care and a healthy population. An association providing members with excellent individual services and support throughout their lives.