Medical Associate Professionals

Life – Terror. Ecstasy. Fight. Denial. Flight. Failure. PAIN. Forgiveness. Reconciliation. Hope. Love. Peace – Death. 

Many people are deeply confused about the growing number of “physician associates (PA)” in the NHS and wrongly assume they are doctors, research suggests. Many medical professionals are deeply concerned the impact PA’s are having on the standard of health care this is affecting.

To become a physician associate you require a postgraduate diploma or master’s that is recognised by the Faculty of Physician Associates (a QUANGO created to administrate the recruitment, training & regulation of MAP’s). You’ll usually need an undergraduate degree first, but not necessarily in a health or life sciences subject. There is also no requirement to demonstrate consistent, high achievement in previous levels of educational studies, i.e. GCSE/A Levels. 

PAs are getting paid far more than many doctors, despite having next-to-no training. This is creating a hierarchical dynamic where the PA is more senior than a qualified doctor. This means that when PAs put a prescription in front of junior doctors they feel pressured into signing it for them.

Physician associate training usually lasts two years, with students studying for 46-48 weeks each year, fully paid for by the government (£70K per year). The UK’s longest running Physician Associate Studies programme trains how to take medical histories, perform physical examinations, request and analyse investigations, diagnose illnesses and develop treatment and management plans. Thus far the pass rate is a staggering 100% with zero failures!

The average physician assistant salary in the United Kingdom is £31,698 per year or £16.26 per hour. Entry level (Junior Doctor) positions start at £23,162 per year after 5 years medical school while most experienced (doctors) workers make up to £52,335 per year after a further 2-3 years work based clinical practice, heavily supervised by a consultant – 8 years and £140,000 – 240,000 debt v 2 years for a PA £0 debt to reach a £45K salary.

For temporary contracts, the hourly PA wage in London is between £20-£25 per hour. This is typically for a mid/senior level role, which would roughly be paying £50,000 full-time equivalent per year.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has called for an immediate halt to the recruitment of Medical Associate Professionals (MAPs) in the UK including Physician Associates (PAs) and Anaesthesia Associates (AAs).

Doctors from across the UK who make up the BMA’s UK Council have passed a Motion which calls for the moratorium on the grounds of patient safety. They want the pause to last until the government and NHS put guarantees in place to make sure that MAPs are properly regulated and supervised. The move follows a number of recent cases in which patients have not always known they were being treated by a physician associate and tragically have come to harm.

Just been diagnosed with a serious illness? About to commence a life saving medical treatment plan? Who performed your diagnosis, who is delivering your treatment? Who do you want that to be? A two year trained ‘assistant’ or an 8 year trained Doctor?

Thanks for Reading

#Peace