GP wants tighter control of surgery support workers
‘We have somehow got used to sticking plaster solutions’
A GP is calling on the government to tighten the regulation of physician associates to ensure patients’ safety.
Dr Zishan Syed, a partner at The Mote Medical Practice in Maidstone, has launched a petition urging the clinical support workers to be subject to a strict governing body similar to the General Medical Council.
Introduced in 2003, physician associates are support staff trained to help GPs with key duties including taking medical histories, performing examinations and diagnosing illnesses.
Most have science degrees and are required to complete a twoyear training course.
Currently it is recommended all physician associates subscribe to a voluntary register.
But Dr Syed, whose practice is based in St Saviours Road, said this is insufficient. He added: “The register does not have the force of the law, meaning physician associates can see patients even if they are not registered. This poses an unacceptable risk to patient safety in GP surgeries.”
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt is currently driving to increase the numbers and scope of the support workers, who are supposed to be overseen directly by doctors.
The government is considering giving them prescribing powers and a greater role in treating people. Dr Syed said this could result in GPs being “scapegoated.”
He said: “In the present environment it is ridiculous to claim, as some clinicians do, they are able to supervise physician associates while simultaneously seeing patients with complex problems in the outdated 10-minute appointment system. Somehow in primary care we have got used to dangerous sticking plaster solutions such as these.”
There are currently more than 200 people working as GP support staff across the UK and this figure is expected to rise rapidly as more training courses become available.
A paper published by the British Journal of General Practice suggests more than 400 physician associates will graduate from UK universities by 2018 and the health secretary has said about 1,000 will be in place by 2020.
Dr Syed’s petition can be found at petition.parliament.uk/petitions/105948