Claudia Webbe MP, Member of Parliament for Leicester East, has called on the government to reverse ‘dangerous’ changes made last week to new ‘medical associate’ roles in the NHS that have been linked to at least two avoidable patient deaths.
In a speech last week in parliament, Claudia Webbe MP objected to government attempts to railroad through new measures to regulate “medical associates” by the General Medical Council (GMC), the same body that regulates doctors.
Agreeing with concerns raised by doctors and their representative bodies, she highlighted how through the NHS Workplace Plan, the government is expanding the use of these associate roles where qualified medical professions should be used.
Claudia Webbe MP criticised the government’s use of the ‘NHS Workforce Plan’, to increase the number of associates – previously termed ‘assistants’ – who can now carry out even surgical care. Ms Webbe highlighted the case of one physician associate who posted on social media about performing basic brain surgery and ‘learning on the job’.
Highlighting that these associates do not have medical training, Webbe warned of the dangers of these roles being used to present increased NHS staff numbers but at lower costs.
In the debate Claudia Webbe MP highlighted that the change is confusing the public by blurring the clear distinction between doctors and other professionals who do not have the same medical qualifications and training.
Claudia Webbe MP said:
“I agree with doctors, who overwhelmingly believe that the expansion of non-medical assistant roles under the titles ‘Physician Associate’ and ‘Anaesthesia Associate’ to provide care normally given by medically qualified staff confuses and endangers patients while reducing training resources available to doctors. The risk is compounded by regulating these roles through the General Medical Council, the body that regulates doctors and GPs
“The way this has been done by Statutory Instrument in a dimly lit, hidden away committee room is typical of this government, avoiding full debate and scrutiny in the hope that the public don’t notice, and think there are more doctors, all whilst treatment is being given by people with less training, on lower pay. These manoeuvres show the government is well aware of the risks and wants to minimise public attention.
“Medical associates have posted on social media about performing brain surgery and ‘learning on the job’, while a hospital in Leicester boasted on social media about a nurse taking the lead on a heart operation. The increased use of staff without medical training to perform procedures can only increase the danger to patients. The tragic deaths of Emily Chesterton and Ben Peters show the danger is very real.
“I have urged the Government to reverse these changes, to ensure patients know the level of training of the person treating them and to prevent the inevitable two-tier system this will create. The public need to have confidence that the people treating them are qualified doctors, and doctors are performing doctor roles but there is little sign that this government is listening to even the doctors who are best placed to know the dangers.”
“The government should think again.
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