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

It’s completely reasonable for patients to know who is treating them and their qualifications. With more roles like Physician Associates (PAs) in the NHS, transparency is essential. Patients should be clearly informed if they're seeing a PA, not a doctor.

Some practices also use a medical director to oversee PAs and maintain clinical standards there’s more on that here www.medicaldirectorco.com/medical-director-for-pa/ Simple clarity like “I’m a PA working under Dr. X” would make a big difference.

I'm now retired primary care nurse but I did it for 23 years and never stopped training. In some areas of care I had more training than the GPs who employed me and they referred patients to me.

There were several instances where I added tests and managed to get patients an earlier diagnosis of cancer. I would communicate with hospital consultants and suggest treatments or collate information between two different departments where one condition was being ignored over the need for consideration of another. I also shared some patient care on respiratory conditions with a nurse consultant who the GPs referred to

However, there would be a core of symptoms we nurses would always refer to a medical professional.

I've even had patients ask why had their GP not explained this before, or they wish they had seen me sooner.

Conclusion is obviously training is important as is being qualified, but in my observation it isn't just that alone and being good at one's job is more than academic level but application of knowledge, nuance, gut feeling, "knowing what you don't know", emotional intelligence, motivation, good communication, etc etc.

farmgran
I think the Nurse Practitioner at the doctor's surgery should always say who she is. I once saw one who was very nice and professional and I was led to believe she was a doctor. I was dissapointed to find out I saw a nurse with extra training. I felt like I'd been conned!

You were lead to believe or you assumed she was a Dr.? How were you conned? Did she misdiagnosis you? If you got the correct help how would a Dr. have made any difference? Is there more bragging rights if you see a Dr. instead of a Nurse Consultant!

Apologies for misunderstanding MOnica. I didn't realise you'd been told you'd had TIAs, but then diagnosed with something quite different. My understanding (from when my mother had them) is that they're quite difficult to diagnose. They don't usually cause brain damage. My mother hardly had any symptoms even during an attack. It was only because she had an attack when I was with her once and I rang 999. The ambulance came very quickly and she was still having an attack when we reached hospital, so they were able to diagnose that one with certainty. The hospital checked her thoroughly and it was then that she admitted that she'd felt a bit strange before, but hadn't done anything about it. There was no permanent damage, which is why she initially wouldn't take the recommended medication.

Anyway, that's irrelevant because it wasn't what was wrong with you.

butterandjam

M0nica

We went private when the doctor who referred DH to a consultant said that, first, a nurse would ring up and triage him.

If a doctor thinks a problem needs a referral, why should a nurse be double checking the doctors decision?

You've misinterpreted what he meant by "triage"

This is the word the GP used.

butterandjam

M0nica

Yes, and there should be more supervision of recently quaalified young doctors. I am still trying to unravel the results of a young recently qualified doctor recruited to a vascular research project diagnosing me as having had minor strokes. Despite every other doctor who saw me saying they were not strokes. I have one officially classified as a mis-diagnosis, but only because I paid to see a specialist who rediagnosed and then treated the real problem.

Had you had TIA's? These are NOT strokes, but because of a similar effect they have are frequently described and explained to patients as "a mini stroke" ( even by the NHS, as here)

www.nhs.uk/conditions/transient-ischaemic-attack-tia/

So if you had TIA's, the junior was correct in using the term "ministroke" to explain the symptoms to you; and the other doctor was correct in telling you that your TIA was not a stroke.

No, TIAs are what this doctor kept saying I had had despite my symptoms not being those of a TIA and I had scans and tests, none of which showed any evidence of brain damage. She also consistently misdescribed one of my symptoms despite me constantly correcting her.

Within days another a doctor in another speciality expressed doubts about the diagnosis. Later on a consulant in A&E said he had read my notes carefully and I had definitely not had strokes. Other less qualified people also expressed doubts, especially over the misdescribed symptom.

What I had was sudden onset carpal tunnel syndrome in my left arm. Now carpal tunnel syndrome usually comes on slowly, but it seems it can come on suddenly if you have damaged vertebrae at the top of your neck and a nerve gets trapped, which they can if you do certain hand movements over a period of time. Like pulling a trolley behind you with your hands under the handle so that your hands are bent over towards the wrist and you are putting strain on them, which is exactly what I had been doing.

It cost me several thousand pounds to get that sorted out and the strokes described as a misdiagnosis.

M0nica

We went private when the doctor who referred DH to a consultant said that, first, a nurse would ring up and triage him.

If a doctor thinks a problem needs a referral, why should a nurse be double checking the doctors decision?

You've misinterpreted what he meant by "triage"

butterandjam

M0nica

Yes, and there should be more supervision of recently quaalified young doctors. I am still trying to unravel the results of a young recently qualified doctor recruited to a vascular research project diagnosing me as having had minor strokes. Despite every other doctor who saw me saying they were not strokes. I have one officially classified as a mis-diagnosis, but only because I paid to see a specialist who rediagnosed and then treated the real problem.

Had you had TIA's? These are NOT strokes, but because of a similar effect they have are frequently described and explained to patients as "a mini stroke" ( even by the NHS, as here)

www.nhs.uk/conditions/transient-ischaemic-attack-tia/

So if you had TIA's, the junior was correct in using the term "ministroke" to explain the symptoms to you; and the other doctor was correct in telling you that your TIA was not a stroke.

The same thing crossed my mind. My mother had a number of TIAs, which were described to her as "mini-strokes". I guess the reason is that they have the same effect, but only for a very short time. My mother was one of those people who was always in denial about anything that was wrong with her, so was outraged that she had been told she'd had a stroke - her reasoning was that she didn't have any of the paralysis or other symptoms of a stroke. As a result, she stubbornly refused to take the medication she was prescribed because "there was nothing wrong with her". (Not suggesting you're like that MOnica).

I persuaded my mother to go for a follow-up consultation and I went with her. The consultant again talked about mini-strokes. By then, I'd looked up what they are and asked him if he meant a TIA. He agreed that he did. He was very patient with my mother and explained that TIAs wouldn't kill her, but they were a sign that something wasn't working properly and she was persuaded to take medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

She lived for another few years and only had two more TIAs. She died from cancer, but her cardio-vascular system was in pretty good shape.

Visgir1

Any employed NHS Health Care professional regardless of profession will be qualified with a minimum BSc with professional exams, they cannot be employed otherwise. Most, more senior staff have other qualifications pertinent to their professional standards (Band 6+) then Masters my chum in the department I worked in has just got her PhD.
I was a Band 8 clinical Manager with all my extra professional exams plus Masters.
After all that hard work we too don't want folks sneeking on the back door, claiming they can do X.Y & Z .
My Doctor friends have worked very hard to get all there exams most Consultants now have to get a PhD to secure a post.
Newly qualified Doctors are under supervision all the time, especially by other professionals. I personally have never agreed with P A's, the ones I have encountered have been cocky.

Your first sentence is simply not true.
" Health Care Assistant" an NHS job title. HCA's in my GP
Practice who perform that role are NOT University GRADUATES "B Sc".

Nor do any of the Consultant Dr's in my family have a Ph D.

M0nica

Yes, and there should be more supervision of recently quaalified young doctors. I am still trying to unravel the results of a young recently qualified doctor recruited to a vascular research project diagnosing me as having had minor strokes. Despite every other doctor who saw me saying they were not strokes. I have one officially classified as a mis-diagnosis, but only because I paid to see a specialist who rediagnosed and then treated the real problem.

Had you had TIA's? These are NOT strokes, but because of a similar effect they have are frequently described and explained to patients as "a mini stroke" ( even by the NHS, as here)

www.nhs.uk/conditions/transient-ischaemic-attack-tia/

So if you had TIA's, the junior was correct in using the term "ministroke" to explain the symptoms to you; and the other doctor was correct in telling you that your TIA was not a stroke.

I think ALL qualifications of medical practitioners should be checked. I say that after asking a supposed surgeon (not racist, but he was from overseas and difficult to understand) about a certain aspect of the proposed surgical procedure. He seemed briefly nonplussed, wouldn't answer, but said he would reply in the report. The appointment report never materialised, but despite that, I was offered the procedure. I replied that I wanted to see the report before my commitment. Next thing I knew, I had been taken off the list. THAT, speaks a thousand words.

We went private when the doctor who referred DH to a consultant said that, first, a nurse would ring up and triage him.

If a doctor thinks a problem needs a referral, why should a nurse be double checking the doctors decision?

I have now waited for nearly 2 years for 3 referrals to NHS Consultants which l found out last month were never sent.

And when you do get to see a Consultant, it's not the Consultant, it's a nurse who fails to put you on the waiting list.

Patience is a virtue.

I think this Physician Associates lark could be a bit if a scam to try and cover up the number of qualified Doctors the NHS just dont
have, And on the cheap of course,

Even seeing a proper GPno longer cuts with me either,

I have now waited for nearly 2 years for 3 referrals to NHS Consultants which l found out last month were never sent.

Yes, I used to have to self-inject - but no-one trained me! I just aimed and didn't look when it went in.

Allira

They do have to get it in a muscle, though, not in a vein!

Yes, but people can be trained to do DIY ones for diabetes and other conditions (some people self inject B12). I don't think you need to be qualified medical staff to do routine injections, particularly in an emergency situation such as the pandemic.

Absolutely agree that we should know the status of our medical practitioner but I think with the way things currently are we are lucky to see anyone! I know a couple who both can hardly walk and in a lot of pain and in desperate need of hip ops. He is 80. She is 76. Not even on a waiting list!! They are planning their trip abroad at £7000 each which includes a week to convalesce with physio . They are not wealthy people.

They do have to get it in a muscle, though, not in a vein!

I seem to remember that all sorts of people were drafted in to give Covid vaccinations. I don't suppose you can go far wrong with that.

I much prefer HCAs to do my B12 jabs though - they tend to be more experienced in giving them than the qualified nurses who have more complex duties, and although they do hurt (they go into the muscle and the substance stings) they do them quickly and cleanly. Often more senior staff faff about a bit as they know the injections are painful and try to do them gently. You can't stab someone in the muscle gently . Just get it over with.

The receptionist should know who’s who at the surgery so that they can honestly tell you whether the appointment you’re making is actually with a qualified GP,practice nurse or PA.

😯

You do not need medical training to administer vaccines, apparently!
you do not need healthcare experience. We need you to demonstrate excellent communication skills and be able to interact with the public. We will train you to give the vaccine and provide public health advice to the public.
24 Jan 2025
University Hospitals, Birmingham

🤔
Really?

Was she a phlobotemist, perhaps?

Be very careful as not very long a go I was as to make appointment to see the Practice Nurse re my blood test,
and administer the pneumonia vaccine
I chatting to the Practice Nurse ??and asked her where did she train as a nurse
She said she didn’t do any training I said did you do any NVQ she said no
As she was a cleaner for Lady Doctor in the practice
And Lady Doctor as her to work two days a week at the surgery
Please check who is carrying out your treatment

Allira

^To add insult to injury, PAs are paid more than Junior doctors^

That is an insult
And just ridiculous!!
Presumably more than newly qualified nurses too, who have undergone three years of training to degree level.

Whose idea was this? I hope it's short lived.

There was a lot of 'discussion' about PAs on twitter or BlueSky (I can't recall which) either early this year or late last year. \People were not happy about them.

They're quite useful in hospitals I think, they can do the discharge summary they can clerk the ward rounds, take histories, explain to families,make phonecalls, liaise with the discharge planning team etc - their training fits them to do this & they are always working as part of a team so they can't overstep the mark.
In GPs surgeries I don't see what they can do that a GP or specialist or practice nurse wouldn't be more appropriate for.