The review of physician and anaesthesia associate roles will be transparent and evidence based

The role of physician associate is not new. It was first introduced in the US more than 50 years ago. The model has since been adopted in many countries, alongside other medical associate professional roles (MAPs). In the UK, PAs were first mentioned in the NHS Plan 20001 and these and other MAPs have been part of workforce transformation since 2013. In all healthcare economies, medical associate professionals have the same basic aim of working alongside doctors with supervision. Although not always explicitly articulated, one fundamental driver for the introduction of these associates seems to be economic pressures. Cutting costs and driving efficiencies are essential for any large business or organisation to remain viable and the NHS is no different. That said, our health service has the added challenge of doing so without compromising patient safety, professional integrity, or service quality. Like many others in the UK, I watched the debate about physician and anaesthesia associates from the sidelines. …