Pulse Checker: Out-of-work GPs to be hired as physician associates’ assistants (PAAs)

Pulse Checker returns with its not-entirely-serious take on the month’s events. None of these stories are true (to the best of our knowledge)

Ministers announce ‘Physician Associate’s Associate’ role to combat GP unemployment

Out-of-work GPs will be able to apply for new jobs supporting the growing number of physician associates in general practice, under new plans announced by the Government this week.

Under the new role – physician associate’s associate (PAA) – GPs will take over some of the duties of physician associates to allow PAs to concentrate on their core work.

The PAAs will need a CCT in general practice, and their duties will include taking medical histories, performing physical examinations, diagnosing illnesses and seeing patients with long-term chronic conditions, all under the supervision of a PA, who themselves will be under the supervision of a GP.

They will be able to see some patients with undifferentiated illnesses, but PAAs will be expected to refer any complex cases to PAs, who can then refer on to the GP.

Announcing the new role, health secretary Wes Streeting said that this will support GPs out of work: ‘There are too many fully-qualified GPs who are desperate to help patients, but there are no jobs out there for them. So I am delighted to announce the new PAA roles.

‘There are concerns that physician associates aren’t qualified to do the work they are being tasked with, so to have such experienced support below them will help improve patient safety.

‘At a time when public finances are stretched, this allows us to pay out-of-work GPs lower salaries and thus increase the workforce.

‘In consultations, they will be supervised by PAs, who in turn will be supervised by GPs. True, it will mean three medical professionals in a room at once, but this at least gets around the problem of the lack of rooms in GP premises.’

Starmer: ‘Health secretaries have caused “incalculable damage” to the UK‘

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has launched a clampdown on health secretaries, warning that they have caused ‘incalculable damage’ to the UK, and turned the Cabinet into an ‘island of strangers’.

In a controversial speech, Mr Starmer pointed to the likes of underfunding, PFI, Darzi Centres, failed workforce initiatives and a host of other problems as evidence of the damage caused.

He said: ‘Don’t get me wrong, some of my best friends are health secretaries. But there are too many = swanning around, making populist commitments around the NHS, and trying to steal the jobs of hard-working Prime Ministers.

‘I know of one health secretary who is continually briefing against his boss, and is talking about the benefits of immigration at a time when his boss is talking about how terrible it is.

‘It is turning the Cabinet into an island of strangers where no-one wants to talk to the Prime Minister because he is so unpopular.’  

He said that while there are some health secretaries who have tried to benefit the country, there are others who show no respect to good old-fashioned British values of politicians adopting hard-right rhetoric about immigrants in misguided attempts to shore up their popularity.

GP lied to help get his friend a gun

A GP this week faced a GMC tribunal over claims he helped his friend obtain a gun, in the second case of this nature in recent months, amid fears of a growing trend.

The GP, who asked to be called Dr Sam ‘the scalpel’ Mansusco from Downtown Staten Island, said he was doing his friend a solid, no questions asked.

Preparing his defence, Dr Mansusco said: ‘So this wise guy enters my consultation room. He’s looking around like he’s got some kind of diplopia, but he ain’t after no drops. He’s got hyperhidrosis like he’s eaten some grade A pepperoncino, but I can see he ain’t packing no heat.

‘I ask what brings him to my legitimate establishment, and he tells me that he was sent by Charlie “The Second Opinion” Cattaneo. Now I know not to turn down no referral from The Second Opinion if I ever want to live long enough to see my NHS pension, and I ain’t giving no contradictory third opinion, if you catch my drift.

‘I ask him if he’s wearing a medical wire, or has had some kind of, shall we say, unauthorised surgery in recent days that I may need to know about.

‘He tells me his name is Mikey, and that he is a friend of Gennaro “The Final Dose” Gravano, and that any friend of The Final Dose is a friend of his. Then he tells me he is need of some, shall we call it, “preventative medicine”.’

At this point in proceedings, the GMC counsel interjected to tell the head of the panel that the doctor’s name is in fact Dr Gordon Jenkins from Surbiton, Surrey, and the actual charges involve lying about the length of time he knew his friend Michael Ramsey on his gun licence application. The tribunal continues.

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