Fake doctors have flooded our NHS - it’s time to get rid of physician associates
20 November 2024, 09:28
Physician associates are putting patients’ lives at risk - the government is right to reconsider the role.
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The more I hear about physician associates, the more I despair. How have we ended up with fake doctors treating patients?
Our NHS used to be the envy of the world. Now, we’re fast-tracking people - some without science backgrounds - into becoming quasi-doctors.
Physician associates get just two years of training - this isn’t enough for managing complex cases. It’s no wonder mistakes are happening.
And yet, the NHS is doubling down. The number of PAs is expected to triple to 10,000 by 2036/37. Junior doctors tell me PAs are now filling shifts that qualified doctors could cover more competently.
The NHS is also planning to introduce 2,000 more anaesthesia associate roles, who receive just two years’ worth of training, instead of the usual 14.
And when anaesthesia associates work, they have to be supervised by senior anaesthetists, who could be doing it themselves - the whole system is so inefficient.
This isn’t a harmless experiment. The government is right to launch a review into the role. It will look at whether PAs actually save doctors’ time, whether they improve care, and - most crucially - whether they’re putting patients at risk.
We already know the answer. Just look at the case of Emily Chesterton. She died aged 30 from a pulmonary embolism after being misdiagnosed twice by a PA.
Then there’s Susan Pollitt. She died last year after a PA in Oldham left a drain in her abdomen for 21 hours. Her husband, Roy, has accused the NHS of relying on “cheap labour.”
Health secretary Wes Streeting is aware of the issues - he says people have “legitimate concerns over transparency for patients, scope of practice, and the substituting of doctors.
Streeting says we’ve ended up with a “toxic debate where physicians feel ignored and PAs feel demoralised”.
We simply don’t have the infrastructure in the NHS to make use of thousands more fake doctors.
The NHS boss Amanda Pritchard says we need to treat PAs with respect. She’s right - it’s not the people, it’s the job that’s the problem.
We need these workers, but not as substitutes for doctors. The NHS is crying out for staff, but this role isn’t the solution.
Patients don’t need a quick, cheap fix. They need real doctors who’ve been trained properly. Anything less puts lives at risk.
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