The British Medical Association (“BMA”) has called for the Health and Care Professions Council (“HCPC”) to regulate physician associates, rather than the General Medical Council (“GMC”) and for physician associates to be renamed ‘physician assistants’. This stance follows concerns raised by doctors regarding the lack of distinction between the role of a physician associate (“PA”) and a doctor for members of the public, and the associated patient safety risks. This is particularly poignant following the recent death of a patient from a pulmonary embolism after seeing a physician associate twice and being misdiagnosed.
Currently, there are around 3,500 PA’s working across the health service with more than 700 in general practice alone. Some PA’s see patients at first instance, with others potentially undertaking more complex work despite PA’s not being regulated professionals. Doctors are therefore concerned regarding the term PA being too similar to that of an ‘associate specialist’, a qualified doctor, causing confusion to patients and have concerns regarding PA’s calling themselves doctors on social media.
On 17 February 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed the GMC would be given the powers to regulate PA’s as well as Anesthesia Associates. The GMC has stated that its draft educational framework, which will take effect when regulation begins in mid/late 2024 at the earliest, will ‘provide an indication of the minimum range of tasks [PA’s] can safely undertake’ but ‘decisions on tasking and supervision are best made locally’. General Practitioner leaders have also called for greater supervision of PA’s and the BMA has stated it will provide guidance to members on “supervision responsibilities and associated liabilities of those who work with’ physician associates’.
