Physician Associate Postcard
We are delighted to make available this downloadable pdf of a postcard for use by NHS GP and hospital patients, which we are sponsoring together with other health campaigns and trade unions. We hope that
local health campaigns, community groups, political and trade union branches will arrange for batches of cards to be printed locally and circulated widely around the nation.
Recent years have seen mounting concern among doctors, nurses and the public regarding risks to NHS patients as a result of the expansion of Physician Associates (PAs) within both general practices and hospitals. These posts were originally created to support doctors by undertaking relatively simple medical tasks. But successive governments have expanded their roles, so that many current patients are unaware that they are being seen by a PA rather than by a doctor. There has been a succession of very worrying medical mishaps, some resulting in avoidable deaths, and coroners as well as health professionals have expressed great concern.
As you will see, the postcard is designed to alert GP staff and hospital clinics to the wish of the patient carrying the card that they should be seen by a medically qualified doctor rather than a PA – especially when they are attending with a new medical problem; and that this should be recorded in their medical records.
We hope that widespread use of the card will not only protect individual patients, but will also raise awareness of public concern about this issue among NHS staff and policy makers.