Physician associates working in primary care could worsen health inequalities

Despite promises by the government to increase the number of GPs in the UK to meet the rising demand for NHS primary care, the number of full time equivalent GPs has fallen in recent years.1 The NHS has instead increased the number of non-medical staff, including physician associates (PAs) working in general practices. NHS England also proposes apprenticeships and shortened medical degrees.2 This change in healthcare provision and deviation from established medical standards could worsen existing health inequalities and compromise patient safety and quality of care.Currently, almost 2,000 PAs work in general practice in England, with NHS England planning to increase the number of PAs in the NHS to around 10 000 by 2036.3 Despite official claims that PAs are not intended to replace GPs, they are often hired instead of GPs, filling doctors’ roles including seeing undifferentiated patients. This shift is driven by ring-fenced funding through the Additional Roles…
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