- Hospitals are allowing staff with as little as two years’ training to treat expectant mothers and stroke victims instead of doctors, risking patient safety.
- Physician associates (PAs) are being used to cover doctors’ shifts, even though they are not qualified to diagnose, prescribe drugs, or order scans without doctor supervision.
- The case of Emily Chesterton, who died after a PA failed to spot a blood clot, highlights the dangers of using underqualified medics.
- The NHS plans to recruit 10,000 PAs by 2038 to address doctor shortages, but the British Medical Association has warned that PAs should not be replacing doctors.
- Some hospitals have allowed PAs to cover for doctors, despite NHS guidance stating that PAs should not be used as replacements for doctors on a rota.
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Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Obstetrics & Gynecology