The British Medical Association has drawn on doctors’ expertise and experiences to draft guidance for safe practice
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The parents of a woman who died after being misdiagnosed by a physician associate on two separate occasions said on Thursday, their daughter would still be alive if guidance had been in place before her death.
Emily Chesterton died from a pulmonary embolism in 2022 despite visiting her local GP in Crouch End, north London. She visited the clinic twice and was seen by a physician associate (PA) and not a GP.
Her parents were speaking at a British Medical Association (BMA) event outlining guidance of the role of PAs.
Emily was under the impression that she was seeing a GP when she was triaged by a receptionist. Her symptoms of leg pain and breathlessness were signs of a blood clot which was not mentioned during the two appointments.
Physician associates have a two year qualification compared to the five year of medical school required to become a doctor.
On Thursday, the British Medical Association set out its national guidance for the role and responsibilities of PAs. This has been described as a “major intervention for patient safety”.
Chair of Council of the BMA, Professor Phil Banfield said: “This [guidance] sets out a clear explanation of how PAs can be employed to maintain the provision of high-quality patient care in the NHS.”
A new traffic light system in the report identifies what PAs are expected to do either on their own, under supervision or not at all.
‘We were naturally very pleased with [the framework] because it spoke to us directly, to our experience, and what has happened in our lives’.
Brendan Chesterton, Emily’s father
The BMA encourages all NHS employers to adopt this practice immediately.
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Headline‘Our daughter would still be alive if she had seen GP and not an associate’, say parents
Short HeadlineParents: 'daughter would still be alive if she had seen a GP'
StandfirstThe 30-year-old died in 2022 from a pulmonary embolism after being misdiagnosed on two occasions by a physician associate.
The parents of a woman who died after being misdiagnosed by a physician associate on two separate occasions said on Thursday, their daughter would still be alive if guidance had been in place before her death.
Emily Chesterton died from a pulmonary embolism in 2022 despite visiting her local GP in Crouch End, north London. She visited the clinic twice and was seen by a physician associate (PA) and not a GP.
Her parents were speaking at a British Medical Association (BMA) event outlining guidance of the role of PAs.
Emily was under the impression that she was seeing a GP when she was triaged by a receptionist. Her symptoms of leg pain and breathlessness were signs of a blood clot which was not mentioned during the two appointments.
Physician associates have a two year qualification compared to the five year of medical school required to become a doctor.
On Thursday, the British Medical Association set out its national guidance for the role and responsibilities of PAs. This has been described as a “major intervention for patient safety”.
Chair of Council of the BMA, Professor Phil Banfield said: “This [guidance] sets out a clear explanation of how PAs can be employed to maintain the provision of high-quality patient care in the NHS.”
A new traffic light system in the report identifies what PAs are expected to do either on their own, under supervision or not at all.
‘We were naturally very pleased with [the framework] because it spoke to us directly, to our experience, and what has happened in our lives’.
Brendan Chesterton, Emily’s father
The BMA encourages all NHS employers to adopt this practice immediately.
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