Dear LPG readers,

I received this message from a friend who is retired but is, like so many of us, worried about how much of our world-renowned NHS will be left if the situation continues as it is.

The issue that is featured here concerns physician associates (PAs) and anaesthetic associates (AAs).  These are people who appear to still be in the ‘apprentice’ stage of their career journey.  The last couple of times that I have attended my surgery I have seen someone who has introduced themselves as some sort of associate.

It is all a bit complicated and needs a bit of in depth reading but perhaps we pensioners are at the age when we really depend on the NHS the most, and also where we have most time to actually read the details.

While the message only shows one side of the argument, it pertains to a consultation that I feel needs to be considered by as many people as possible in order to get the best outcome and perhaps asking LPG to feature it might at least get a few more people thinking about what they really think.  It is so easy to miss what is going on…

IP, Woolwich  

It follows…

How do you feel about having a partially skilled anaesthetist looking after you when you are being put under for an operation? Would you feel in safe hands?

How do you feel when going to the doctor and you can no longer see a fully qualified doctor and are offered an associate doctor who is not fully trained?

Does any of this make you feel safe?

This is really important. The government is looking to flood the NHS with associate physicians and associate anaesthesiologists

I don’t know about you, but if I have to be put under for an operation I want a fully trained anaesthesiologist.

If we want to fight for the NHS, one key part of that is to fight the erosion of the NHS workforce.

Staff have been poorly treated for many years, many are now being forced out of jobs they once loved, and flooding our public healthcare system with lower-skilled workers is in no one’s interests.

We need to speak up now, together, to voice our concerns.

Please read and respond to the consultation. It closes on the 20th May. So this is time critical

Please take the time to click on the link below

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