According to the BBC, there are about 1,500 PAs working in hospitals and 1,700 in GP practices. Their role includes asking patients about their symptoms, carrying out physical examinations, reviewing test results and discussing treatments. There are around 320 AAs and they help anaesthetists.

Whilst I believe that there can be a helpful role for PAs and AAs in the NHS, it is absolutely vital that members of the public are aware of who they’re seeing and they’re not used without supervision or in place of doctors.  Members of the public and healthcare professionals have expressed concern over their responsibilities and I share their concerns. Following the tragic death of Emily Chesterton, a patient at the Vale Practice in my constituency, it is right that the government look at strengthening regulation, defining roles and ensuring that such an incident can never happen again.  However, the way this regulation is done is extremely important and I know the BMA have raised significant concerns about the current Government proposals to use the GMC rather than the Health & Care Professions Council.

This week, I spoke to the North Central London Integrated Care Board to outline my concerns about PAs and AAs and their use locally as this is an issue that many constituents have written to me about. The ICB told me they are looking into the incident at the Vale Practice and are liaising with other GP practices in Hornsey and Wood Green to gather feedback on their views of PAs.

Patient safety and transparency is paramount. That’s why I believe all PAs and AAs should undergo mandatory checks, be registered by hospitals and GP practices and be supervised by doctors. I am also deeply worried by reports that patients, especially those who have telephone appointments with their surgery, are not made aware when they are speaking to a PA versus a GP. That’s why it is vital that any legislation must recognise the distinction between PAs and GPs, making it clear that these are additional’ roles, not substitute GPs. Patients have the right to know who they are speaking to – we must ensure there is transparency and trust between patients and healthcare professionals.

In Parliament, I have asked the following Written Parliamentary Questions on this issue:

• To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of (a) training and (b) supervision for physician associates in GP practices. Response here.
• To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to bring forward legislation to regulate physician associates. Response here

In July 2023, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to raise my concerns about the use of Physician Associates and call for urgent government action.

As your representative in Parliament, I am dedicated to advocating for policies that prioritise patient safety and the wellbeing of NHS staff. It is vital that we strike the right balance between addressing workforce shortages and maintaining the quality of care provided by highly trained medical practitioners. When I visit hospitals and GP practices, the only issue that comes up again and again is the shortage of staff. Patients cannot be treated in a timely manner because there are not enough doctors or nurses – this is a fact that the Tories continue to ignore.

For years, Labour has been calling on the government to introduce a robust and long-term workforce plan. We must ensure the NHS has the staff it needs now and that many more are being trained in clinics and universities. After 13 years of austerity and deep underinvestment in infrastructure, equipment, staff training and retention, the NHS is facing a serious crisis. Waiting lists for NHS treatment have risen to over seven million – the highest on record. And I believe the root cause is the failure to provide the NHS with the staff to treat patients on time.

I will continue to monitor developments in this area and am grateful for the continued feedback from my constituents. I will always try and represent your views in Parliament and call on the government to improve access and quality of healthcare.