Following a series of patient misdiagnoses, the British Medical Association urges for a clear demarcation of responsibilities between physician associates, anaesthesia associates, and doctors to safeguard patient care.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has called for physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) to be prohibited from diagnosing patients. This direction follows incidents, including the misdiagnosis of a woman who died from a blood clot, highlighting major concerns over patient safety. The BMA has proposed a colour-coded system to delineate tasks MAPs (medical associate professions) can perform: green for tasks they can do independently, amber for those needing supervision, and red for tasks they should refrain from, including initial patient assessments and diagnoses.
This guidance aims at reinforcing the distinction between the responsibilities of MAPs and those requiring a doctor’s expertise. The Department of Health and Social Care has expressed its intention to regulate PAs and AAs by the end of 2024 to ensure clear standards of practice and patient safety, with the General Medical Council overseeing education requirements and fitness-to-practice procedures.
The urging for redefined roles comes amidst concerns from over half of UK doctors surveyed by the BMA, who reported increased workloads due to the integration of PAs and AAs. Despite recognizing the positive contributions of MAPs to healthcare teams, the BMA stresses the necessity for clear guidelines to prevent their roles from substituting that of doctors. This move is seen as essential to protect patients and maintain the quality of care within the NHS.
