More than three quarters of physician associates (PAs) say their scope of practice has been restricted since the publication of the Leng Review, a survey by United Medical Associate Professionals (UMAPs) has revealed.
The PA trade union UMAPs found that 76% of PAs reported a narrowing of practice since the report was published last summer, resulting in longer patient wait times and increased workloads for doctors.
More than half (51%) of PAs said that the narrowing of scope has impacted the workload of their doctor supervisors.
According to the general practice-based PA respondents to the survey, since the Leng Review, there has been an increase in longer patient waiting times of 1-4 weeks and 4-8 weeks, and a drop in patients being seen in a matter of days.
The PA trade union surveyed 459 PAs – 47% of whom were working in general practice – during December and January. Over half of respondents had been working as a PA for more than five years.
Dr David Law, a senior GP partner in Bromsgrove, said that PAs working under direct supervision from a named senior doctor were ‘a majorasset to primary care’.
‘But this only works if they are able to work to the full extent of their training, including being able to treat undiagnosed patients. So long as the Leng Review recommendationsremain in place, GP practices and their patients will continue to suffer,’ he said.
The Leng Review did not set a scope of practice for PAs, although it did suggest putting in place more development opportunities for PAs.
The survey found that seven in 10 respondents said their workplace had introduced ‘new protocols or guidelines regarding PAs’ following the review.
UMAP’s general secretary, Stephen Nash, said that the ‘terrible impact of the Leng Review recommendations should have been entirely obvious to both the Government and NHS England’.
‘Effectively sidelining some 3,500 highly qualified medical professionals was clearly going to be disastrous for patients, associates, and doctors alike.
Yet at no point did the Health Secretary make any assessment of how this would harm medical associates or restrict patients’ access to care,’ he said.
A survey by Management in Practice and Pulse last summer found that more than a fifth of PCNs had cut the number of PAs they employed in the previous 12 months.
