Roughly 50% of NHS patients do not know the difference between physician associates and doctors, a new study has highlighted.
Physician associates work under the supervision of a senior doctor and can access, diagnose and treat patients within certain limits.
They don’t prescribe medication or request X-rays, and they are supposed to supplement, and not substitute, fully qualified doctors.
Unlike doctors who spend years at medical school, physician associates only need to have either a science degree or a clinical qualification, followed by a postgraduate diploma or master’s qualification.
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NHS chiefs are wanting physician associates to deliver more care in a bid to manage patients better.
However, doctors are slamming these plans, saying that patients could be at risk due to physician associates’ insufficient training.
Currently in England, there are more than 3,500 physician associates, with health chiefs wanting to boost the total to 10,000 within 12 years.
The main duties of a physician associate include conducting physical examinations and taking medical histories.
More than 1,100 people took part in the poll, which found that 57% of the respondents had either never heard of a physician associate or did not know what they did.
A total of 22% of the respondents knew a little about physician associates, while 3% knew a great deal.
GPs have pledged that the public should have more information on physician associates, and that patients should be told if they are being treated by a physician associate rather than a doctor.
“Efforts to cut waiting lists must not come at the cost of patient safety,” said the British Medical Association (BMA).
According to the poll results, only 25% of respondents know the role of the healthcare professional they interact with during a healthcare appointment.
More than three quarters of the respondents think it’s important to know the role of the healthcare professional that is treating them.
Professor Phil Banfield, Chairman of the BMA council, said: “It is incredibly concerning, but not at all surprising that so many people know so little about physician associates, even though they are working in GP practices and hospitals across the country.
“Physician associates are not equivalent to doctors. They must always work under close supervision from a doctor and should never be used in their place.”
He added: “We believe that PAs should see only those patients already triaged by a GP who has many years more training as efforts to cut waiting lists must not come at the cost of patient safety.
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“It takes over 10 years of training to become a GP, Pas study for two years and although they have a role in the NHS, they must not be used as a substitute for qualified staff.”
Dr Victoria Tzortziou-Brown, Vice Chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said: “This poll shows how important it is that more information for patients is available about this role – and that it is made very clear to any patient who is being treated by a physician associate what their role is and that they are not a doctor; this is one of the college’s red lines for Pas working in general practice.
“GPs are as frustrated as our patients when they struggle to access our care and services. Simply recruiting other healthcare professionals, including PAs, in general practice, must not be seen as the answer.”
A spokesperson for the NHS said: “The NHS has always been clear about the role physician associates play in supporting clinical teams to provide high-quality care for patients – they are not replacements for doctors, but support with specific tasks they are trained to do, under supervision.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Physician associates have an important role to play but should always work with doctors, not replace them.
“This government will fix the NHS and ensure it has the staff it needs to be there for all of us when we need it.”
