Physician associates ‘should be banned from diagnosing patients'
The review examined six patient deaths that coroners' reports had directly linked to physician associates (PAs).
The report's author said misdiagnosing patients and giving them the wrong treatment plan was 'catastrophic'.
The review found there was 'inconclusive' evidence that physician associates were safely deployed in the NHS, but equally none to suggest it was so unsafe that the role should be abolished.
It said the role should be renamed as 'physician assistant' to reduce confusion among the public who have often mistaken them for doctors.
The review proposes giving all NHS staff, including the renamed physician assistants, their own uniforms and lanyards that clearly state their job, because of the vast range of roles operating within the health service, and a tendency for PAs to wear doctors' scrubs and stethoscopes.
The recommendations make up part of an independent review of PAs and anaesthesia associates (AAs) by Prof Gillian Leng, the president of the Royal Society of Medicine.
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, ordered the review last year after a series of scandals involving PAs either causing patient harm or death, practising beyond what they are qualified to do, or being used in place of doctors.
Doctors have also criticised the NHS plans to increase the around 3,500 PAs employed to more than 10,000 as an attempt to replace them.
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