RCGP admits ‘error’ in suggesting PAs could access fellowship

The RCGP has allayed concerns that physician associates (PAs) and other professionals could be offered college fellowship by admitting there was an ‘error’ in its recent council papers.

Last week, papers for the council meeting on Saturday suggested that allied health professionals (AHPs) could access fellowship and other services in future, in a bid to ‘increase their affiliation’ with the college. 

This sparked concern among some GPs who highlighted that the RCGP should be focused on the concerns of its profession. 

However, the RCGP has now told Pulse that ‘fellowship’ should never have been listed in the paper and ‘is not something the college will be exploring’. 

According to the discussion paper that was presented at Saturday’s council meeting, the RCGP has plans ‘to explore the feasibility to opening up access to existing College products and services to benefit MDT colleagues, for example eLearning, RCGP Annual Conference, RCGP Mentoring and Fellowship’.

These plans are part of efforts to be a ‘more inclusive and supportive organisation’ for MDT colleagues working in general practice. 

Responding to the now-removed proposal last week, Surrey GP partner Dr Dave Triska told Pulse the college ‘would be moving even further away from looking after the interests of their current members’ and that there is ‘a reason for us having representative professional bodies’. 

Chair of Gateshead and South Tyneside LMC Dr Paul Evans said this proposal is ‘deeply dangerous’ and ‘potentially works against’ the doctors who are currently RCGP members. 

He told Pulse: ‘At a time when many sessional GPs are struggling to find work due to core GP funding having been cut (in part, to fund MAPs via ARRS) it seems perverse of the College to do anything other than look to serve the needs of its current, GP members.’

GP and RCGP council member Dr Heather Ryan said that she found the idea of opening up fellowship to AHPs ‘deeply unpalatable’ and had planned to speak against it at the meeting.

But she said that once the secretary clarified that this suggestion was an error, attendees were ‘broadly positive’ about the paper. 

In her update following the meeting, Dr Ryan said: ‘Potential outcomes include a “Primary Care Summit” at which stakeholders can further discuss what collaboration might look like; and exploring the possibility of some kind of practice-level affiliation with RCGP.’ 

Last month, Pulse reported that GP locums had been asked to consider reducing their rates amid an apparent scarcity of available roles – and in part to ‘compete with ARRS staff’.  

And the physician associate role has been embroiled in controversy over recent months, with the BMA’s GP Committee in England recently calling for an immediate pause on all PA recruitment across general practice and PCNs.

RCGP chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne said: ‘At Saturday’s Council meeting, one of many papers for discussion considered how the College can support allied healthcare professionals working in primary care, so that they in turn can best support GPs and ensure our patients receive the appropriate care they need. 

‘This was a discussion paper to gauge Council members’ views specifically on this, not about any individual roles themselves. 

‘We will now continue to explore the College’s potential role in this space, informed by the rich and varied views of Council members.’

On the fellowship issue, she added: ‘The inclusion of potentially offering members of the multi-disciplinary team fellowship of the RCGP was an error and should not have appeared in the paper. This is not something the College will be exploring.’