Science graduates with two years’ training will soon be allowed to treat patients in local surgeries and hospital emergency wards.
The scheme is intended to relieve pressure upon the NHS, which is struggling to care for an ageing population on a flat budget.
Physician assistants
The “physician assistants”, as they will be known, will be made up of science graduates with two years’ intensive training. This is compared to the seven years of further education it takes to become a doctor.
Physician assistants will perform similar duties to junior doctors, and will be able to examine patients, order and interpret tests, admit and discharge hospital patients, and decide on treatment. They will not be able to prescribe drugs.
Fears over lack of training
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt believes this new class of medic – which sits between nurses and doctors – will help the NHS cope with rising demands.
Mr Hunt said: “The NHS is treating record numbers of people. That’s why we are growing the workforce further with a new class of medic so busy doctors have more time to care for patients.”
Other proponents have also cited the success of the concept in the US, where physician associates have been working in the healthcare system for the past 50 years.
However, medical and patient leaders have expressed concerns about the scheme, saying it could be dangerous if the assistants are given too many responsibilities.
There are also fears that physician associates will become “doctors on the cheap”.
Substandard medical care
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