Physician associates: BMA survey finds “shocking scale of concern”

Nearly nine in 10 doctors (87%; 16 400 of 18 894) believe that the way physician associates and anaesthesia associates work is always or sometimes a risk to patient safety, a survey by the BMA has found.A similar proportion (86%; 16 232 of 18 853) reported that they did not think the public understood the difference between the roles of physician or anaesthesia associates and the role of doctors, in the survey conducted from 9 to 27 November.In a separate survey of 2009 members of the public, 29% said that they did not know whether or not they had been seen by a physician associate.The results were released a day before legislation that would allow the General Medical Council (GMC) to regulate physician and anaesthesia associates was due to be tabled in parliament. The government has said that the regulation of associates would improve patient safety and support plans to…
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