Healthwatch Richmond Referenced in Leng Review of Physician Associates
On the 16th July, the Leng Review into physician associates and anaesthesia associates was published.
Healthwatch Richmond upon Thames submitted evidence to this review and we are referenced within the final report. We were also invited to take part in a roundtable discussion with Dr Gillian Leng to explore the role of physician associates in primary care.
The evidence presented in our submission and at the roundtable was gathered as part of our review of the ‘Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme’, appointment booking and remote consultations in Richmond GP practices.
In our submission to the Leng Review we argued that:
- Patients need to be informed who their appointment is with prior to the appointment.
- Patients need to be informed as to what the remit, limitations and supervision of physician associates are within primary care.
- The patient’s needs must be assessed as being appropriate for being met by a PA (i.e. appropriate triage).
- An educational media campaign needs to take place to rehabilitate perceptions of physician associates and inform the public of the role that they play in primary care.
We are pleased to see that the Leng review concluded that physician assistants should not see undifferentiated patients except within clearly defined national clinical protocols; however, we are saddened to see that other patient concerns are not addressed in the recommendations. In particular, there is no recommendation addressing the lack of information around the role of physician associates.
You can read the full Leng Review here.
We thank all Richmond residents who filled out our survey to help inform this national review. We will continue to ensure the views of Richmond residents and their experiences of the NHS are heard at a national level.
