PAs to be renamed ‘assistants’ as Government accepts all Leng recommendations
The Government has accepted all the recommendations made by Professor Gillian Leng following her independent review into the safety and effectiveness of physician associates (PAs).
The review, published this morning, determined that PAs should be renamed physician assistants, and that they should be more thoroughly trained and not see undifferentiated patients.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said the NHS in England will now begin work to bring all the proposed the changes in ‘as quickly as possible’.
NHS England will be asked to write to system leaders setting out the ‘immediate actions’ for them to take, he said.
Implementing the review’s recommendations ‘will provide clarity for the public’ and ‘improve patient safety and quality of care,’ the Government added.
It stressed that PAs will ‘still have a vital role to play’ in wider teams and that these recommendations ‘will provide certainty and options for their career development’.
Mr Streeting said: ‘Patients should always know who they are being treated by and should always receive appropriate care.
‘Legitimate concerns about patient safety have been ignored for too long – that’s why I sought out the very best clinical advice to review physician associates and anaesthesia associates’ roles in the NHS.
‘We’re accepting all of the recommendations of the Leng review, which will provide clarity for the public and make sure we’ve got the right staff, in the right place, doing the right thing. Patients can be confident that those who treat them are qualified to do so.
‘Physician assistants, as they will now be known, will continue to play an important role in the NHS. They should assist doctors, but they should never be used to replace doctors.’
Changes recommended by the Leng Review
The review recommended PAs should have at least two years’ training in secondary care before being allowed to practise in primary care; and they should not see undifferentiated patients outside of clearly determined national clinical protocols – in line with guidance set out by the RCGP.
A proposed ‘job description’ for newly-qualified PAs joining general practice suggests they should ‘play a central role in all aspects of preventative care, including undertaking NHS health checks and provide lifestyle support, and support the administration of basic therapeutic procedure’.
Other recommendations included clearer marking of who is a doctor and who is a physician assistant; the requirement of a named supervisor; and more support to doctors in the supervisory role, including management training and additional time for supervision (read all recommendations here).
Co-national medical director for primary care at NHS England Dr Claire Fuller said: ‘We welcome the publication of this review and the clarity it provides on how these vital and valued roles can best support high-quality care for patients as part of multidisciplinary teams.
‘Following legitimate concerns raised, it is right this review has gathered expert insight and evidence from across the health service and internationally and we will now work with the service and government to fully consider and implement its recommendations.’
Earlier today the RCGP reaffirmed its opposition to the role of PAs in general practice, in response to the review.
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READERS' COMMENTS [2]
Please note, only GPs are permitted to add comments to articles
When the public is consistently suspicious of Govt stitch-ups, as I (and others) am with the outcome of this “review”, and other political matters and direction, then we’re in the territory of a broken social contract….
‘Can I thank PAs for living under unbearable pressure with incredible dignity whilst awaiting their fate.’
Thats odd.
That is how I’ve felt as a GP in the last 15 years.