The Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK) has warned that doctors are being side-lined and professional responsibilities blurred.
DAUK fears a new competencies framework represents the creeping substitution of doctors with other healthcare professionals (HCPs).
The recently published National Capabilities Framework for Professionals who care for Children and Young People with Asthma sets out a five-tier structure of competencies.
Professional responsibilities
At the lowest tier, GP receptionists, childcare staff, and teachers will provide ‘basic asthma awareness’ and signposting.
GPs, resident doctors, and emergency department doctors are listed in tier three out of the five.
They can ‘diagnose, assess, and manage acute and chronic asthma’ andoctd ‘address factors that contribute to poor control’, the document states.
At the higher levels of four and five, paediatricians with special interest, advanced nurse practitioners, tertiary paediatrician, and allied health professional (AHP) member of the asthma multidisciplinary team (MDT) are listed.
Replacing doctors
Dr Neena Jha, a member of DAUK’s GP committee and a GP in Hertfordshire, said the framework represented the direction of travel under the Government’s 10-year NHS plan.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Dr Jha said the plan was ‘dismantling the practice of medicine’ and would ‘replace doctors with other HCP “to deliver task-based care”’.
In a second post on X, she said: “In short, the Government’s 10 year NHS plan is to replace doctors with other HCP at scale.”
Dr Alison George, who is also a member of the DAUK GP committee, said the document represented ‘taskification and tiered care in all its glory’ in a post on X.
Private healthcare
She added in a separate post on the social media website: “Private healthcare providers are circling with excitement.
“Many are already embedded in the NHS, and Department of Health and NHS England’s doctor replacement policy opens up opportunities for more.
“Very soon it will be impossible to guarantee doctor-led care unless you pay/have insurance.”
The framework was initially highlighted on X by acute physician Dr Louella Vaughan.
Dr Vaughan said: “Here is an example of what is coming.
Tasks and tiers
“The whole of medicine, broken down into tasks and tiers.
“No need for knowledge. No need for expertise.
“Brought to you by Health Education England.”
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