The RCP has welcomed the Nuffield Trust’s report, In the balance: Lessons for changing the mix of professions in NHS services, which looks at the history of how distinct and different roles - including physician associates, nursing associates and advanced nurse practitioners - have been brought into the NHS.
Commenting on the report, senior censor and vice president for education and training, Dr Mumtaz Patel, who is acting as president of the Royal College of Physicians, said:
“This important report by the Nuffield Trust, commissioned by NHS Employers, confirms what our members have been telling us: while the introduction of new healthcare workforce roles such as physician associates (PAs) can potentially support good patient care, the pace and scale of their rollout must be carefully managed. There are vital lessons to be learnt here for the independent Leng review, and the RCP will continue to call for a nationally-agreed scope and ceiling of practice for PAs, a review of the projections for growth in the PA role in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) alongside a commitment to pause the pace and scale of the rollout, and a review of the way the PA role impacts training opportunities for resident doctors.
“The introduction of new healthcare roles must fully account for critical factors such as the time doctors need for education, supervision, and quality improvement. Without proper planning, these pressures can become unsustainable, jeopardising the success of both new and existing roles.
“The report’s findings highlighting the NHS’s unusually high ratio of non-doctor and non-nurse roles compared to other healthcare systems are particularly concerning. Doctors have a unique role as senior expert decision-makers, and as we revise the LTWP, it is crucial to focus on achieving the right skill mix in the NHS - one that prioritises the best outcomes for patients, supports staff wellbeing, and leverages the unique expertise of all professions.”