Should we know the qualifications of the person who is treating us?

The thing that worries me most is that the title and publicity all suggests that PAs are better qualified than nurses and nurse practioners and come somewhere between NP's and doctors, when as I showed in a previous post they are far less well qualified than NP and frankly, despite their 2 years post graduation training they are less knowledgeable and less well trained than the average nurse.

Chardy

I thought all surgeries had a list of GPs with their qualifications up on a board prominently displayed. My surgery's website also says in its 'Meet the Team' section, who is a GP and who is a PA

Not all surgeries.

In fact, the one at our surgery rarely works.
It seems to be mostly staffed by nurses now, no Physician Associates as far as I know and only a few part-time GPs.

Does this extend to HCA’s then……some of whom are qualified in phlebotomy and cannulation but not all of them are. Do we ask “are you trained to do that” when they approach us with the necessary equipment?

Some doctors aren't very good with needles either! Not as good as many nurses or trained phlobetomists.

Astitchintime

Does this extend to HCA’s then……some of whom are qualified in phlebotomy and cannulation but not all of them are. Do we ask “are you trained to do that” when they approach us with the necessary equipment?

I would hope that HCAs without the necessary training aren't allowed to draw blood or perform cannulation. If that's not the case, it needs to stamped down on harshly. If people have colleagues they know aren't adequately trained for certain procedures, they should report them - and the managers who are recruiting them..

I actually think it would be ridiculous to ask everybody treating us to produce all their qualifications and certificates. That's why we have regulatory bodies. We need to be able to trust them to do their job. If they're not, that needs looking at urgently.

M0nica

The thing that worries me most is that the title and publicity all suggests that PAs are better qualified than nurses and nurse practioners and come somewhere between NP's and doctors, when as I showed in a previous post they are far less well qualified than NP and frankly, despite their 2 years post graduation training they are less knowledgeable and less well trained than the average nurse.

I agree with you. I think there's a real problem with the role. As you know, a report has recently been published and pressure needs to continue to ensure the recommendations are acted on.

It seems to me that it's an idea imported from the American healthcare system. Some bright spark thought it would save money and possibly relieve the pressure on qualified doctors. However, as with all change, you need to consult the stakeholders before anything is implemented and that didn't happen. Nobody thought through what the role would actually entail, how much supervision the new PAs would need and how they would fit into a team etc.

As far as I can see, their role is duplicating what nurse practitioners and specialist nurses are already doing. As you've pointed out, these nurses are better qualified than the PAs and have more responsibility ie they have limited prescribing rights.

When were told it’s now much easier to get a doctor’s appointment, is it strictly the truth?

Mollygo

When were told it’s now much easier to get a doctor’s appointment, is it strictly the truth?

That all depends on your surgery.

M0nica

Mollygo
When were told it’s now much easier to get a doctor’s appointment, is it strictly the truth?
That all depends on your surgery.

I don’t recollect that being part of the deal.

Who's telling us it's much easier to get an appointment with a GP?

TBH I rarely need an appointment with a GP. Most of my visits to the surgery involve chronic conditions, which I manage myself and ask for advice and/or tests if necessary. I always see the appropriate person, who is usually a nurse, a phlebotomist or a physio.

If I do need to see a GP (as I did when I was worried about a mole which turned out to be skin cancer), I saw a GP within 24 hours of my request. I was referred to secondary care immediately and it was all sorted within weeks.

The one person at my surgery I find to be unsatisfactory is the senior partner, who takes the minimum amount of time, maybe orders a test or a scan, but then never follows up.

New figures show over 1,503 extra GPs have been hired through new scheme since 1 October
But where are they?


.

Mollygo

^New figures show over 1,503 extra GPs have been hired through new scheme since 1 October^
But where are they?

.

According to the official data, there are 8071 GB practices in the whole of the UK (as of December 2024).

That's 0.13 extra GPs per practice - or about one extra four hour shift per practice.

Yes ofcourse you have a right to ask if the person treating you is qualified to do so. Where l work, on name badges of staff it states what their position is, ie; consultant, advanced nurse practitioner, etc. If this was done in all medical places, people wouldn't be asking the question, like yourself.

Forget PAs that's a ticking timebomb. The NHS is chronically short of GOOD doctors. Daughter has been a doctor for 10 years, says that many overseas "doctors" get into the NHS and their "qualifications" and knowledge are far less than the UK trained doctors. And before anyone jumps on the racist bandwagon, this is not about race it's about UK qualifications vs some overseas which are far less rigorous and stringent

I was misdiagnosed by a paramedic at my surgery. Its very difficult to get a real GP appointment in person. We need more GPs.

Yes most certainly

Yes of course we should be able to ask. I was treated by someone who was called "doctor" but during a conversation she was on her last year elective student doctor in a GP surgery. She saw me but had to refer to a qualified GP.

I believe misdiagnosis by physician associates hastened my husbands death and certainly caused in pain and difficulty in his final months

Yes we should, but not only in the NHS and other recognized fields of medicine. We should also know about the qualifications of counselors and also those who provide 'alternative' medicine. We should also see qualifications standardized monitored and policed for all providers of therapies including massage, Botox, lip fillers, tattoo and pircings and all kinds of treatments of a physical nature.

SNEAKING, THEIR, PAs (no apostrophe)
No proper punctuation either.
I wonder what your write-ups are like.

Yes we should be told. All the names and titles of all of the staff should be on a board in the surgery office for all to read.

We absolutely need to know who we are talking to, and although many PA’s are very good in their role, I would not expect a qualified PA to have as broad a knowledge base as a very experienced and qualified GP.

When I was a registered nurse in both a hospital and the community we were very clear what our roles were and always introduced ourselves as such. It was much safer for everyone that way, including staff who would be protected from others expecting them to have the knowledge and experience of a different staff group.

It’s been suggested that the name Physician Associate is confusing, and could/should be changed, which I agree with.

HCAs

How about everyone learning that PAs HCAs cats doctors and any other word or abbreviation does not have an apostrophe unless it's a possessive noun or a letter is omitted (such as its/it is, we're/we are)
The level of grammar and spelling from adults who are of an age when the emphasis on language in their educational years was much more pronounced, is poor.

Even if you know the qualifications do you ever actually question the advice given? surely you need to write down questions you need to ask the person treating you and then ask if there are alternatives ?what are the side effects?
it was suggested that i needed a hysterectomy but after researching the procedure, I found it would not be the solution. The other consultant agreed
just because somebody has a "white coat" or sits behind a desk it does not mean that the advice given is the only option