Ban less qualified medics from diagnosing patients
Doctors raise concerns over safety
Patients deserve to know who is treating them
PROF PHIL BANFIELD CHAIR OF BMA UNION
DOCTORS say less qualified medics should be banned from diagnosing patients.
The British Medical Association has published guidance on medical associate professions (MAP) roles following safety concerns.
It comes amid fears the NHS is having to rely on them more due to the shortage of fully qualified doctors.
MAPs, who are supervised by doctors, include physician associates and anaesthesia associates.
In its guidance, the BMA said MAPs should not be responsible for initially assessing or diagnosing patients and must be closely supervised when seeing patients who have already seen a doctor.
The union also said they should refrain from saying “I am one of the medical team” without stating their job title and called for tighter regulation of the tasks they carry out.
Brendan and Marion Chesterton, whose daughter Emily died from a pulmonary embolism in 2022, back the BMA guidance. They believe actress Emily, 30 – who was misdiagnosed twice and prescribed medication for anxiety by a physician associate in Crouch End, North London – would “100%” still be alive if she had seen a GP instead.
Around 4,000 physician associates work in the NHS in England. Ministers plan to increase this to 10,000.
Prof Phil Banfield, BMA chair of council, said the guidance had been issued “to improve patient safety”.
He added: “Without clarity on the scope of their skills and responsibilities, it is even more important that patients know who is treating them.”
Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, said it supports “any steps that are taken to improve the safety and confidence of patients”.
But a United Medical Associate Professionals spokesman said the BMA “has no right to redefine the scope of another profession”.
The Department of Health said: “Physician associates have been found to be safe, positively contributing to medical and surgical teams.”