Physician Associates consultation out now
This consultation asks for your comments on the proposed rules, standards and guidance that set out how the GMC will regulate Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs).
It also covers draft principles on decision-making guidance that will apply to doctors as well as to AAs and PAs from December 2024.
The consultation is open until 20 May 2024.
Healthwatch Haringey has been raising questions about the role of Physician Associates in Haringey and the NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board area (NCL ICB).
We took up the issue following a safety incident concerning a patient at a Haringey surgery which was raised in parliament. We worked with Patient Participation Group (PPG) members and others to understand the scale of the use of Physician Associates in GP surgeries, their duties and responsibilities and how they are trained and supervised.
The actions we have taken so far include:
- We co-ordinated with PPG members to raise the issue at the September 2023 and the February 2024 PPG Network meeting.
See the Healthwatch Haringey presentation for the February 2024 meeting:
- We attended a meeting in February 2024 chaired by Catherine West MP and attended by PPG members, the Haringey GP Federation, Haringey Cabinet Member for Health Councillor Lucia das Neves, and NCL ICB. We asked if PAs are employed more frequently in the deprived parts of the borough. We asked if there was any identification as to who is a PA. We stated that many patients attend appointments with PAs yet they can believe they are speaking to a qualified doctor.
- We organised a meeting of the five NCL Healthwatch to raise awareness of the use of Physican Associates and encourage Healthwatch to collect feedback from patients.
Healthwatch England is also collecting evidence to submit to the consultation reflecting the views of patients and their experience of Physician Associates.
Please contact us if you have any feedback to give Healthwatch England. Please send a short email and we will call you back.
