DAUK’s Dr Matt Kneale has told a national newspaper that doctors are increasingly angry at the use of physician associates (PAs) in the NHS.
Dr Kneale, DAUK committee member and former chair, said there was a fear that doctors were being replaced by PAs, despite them being lesser qualified.
He was speaking to the Daily Mail as part of an in-depth special report on the role of PAs.
DAUK has grave concerns about the roll-out of PAs and anaesthesia associates (AAs) across the NHS.
Campaign
We are campaigning for a pause in the expansion of the roles until serious questions over their training, scope of practice, regulation, and pay are addressed.
PAs are not a substitute for doctors, who undertake years of study and medical training and are highly-skilled in the care they provide for their patients, and this must be reflected in pay. It is estimated that a newly-qualified PA is paid £11,000 more per year – or 35 per cent more – than a newly-qualified doctor.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Dr Kneale said: “You can see why many junior doctors are angry.
“Not only are we being replaced by another profession, but we are being replaced by people who are less qualified – and get paid more.”
DAUK is also deeply opposed to Government plans for PAs to be regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC). DAUK has concerns about the oversight of post-graduate qualifications, training, and scope of practice, as well as about fitness to practice and supervision.
Regulation
While we recognise the need for PAs to be regulated, the GMC is not the body to do this.
GMC regulation will only blur the lines between doctors and non-doctors, confuse the public, and compromise patient safety.
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Access the full feature in the Daily Mail.
