Rebuttal: BBC News reports from 13/06/22 and 21/11/23

An open letter on behalf of United Medical Associate Professionals members across the UK,

BBC News reports from 13/06/22, and 21/11/23 regarding Physician Associates

We write on behalf of United Medical Associate Professionals to correct misleading and potentially damaging information used in your reporting regarding Physician Associates.

In your November 2023 report entitled ‘Concern after unqualified medics given senior Birmingham hospital roles’ (1), you provide a description of the role of a Physician Associate (PA). As you are aware, PAs are trained to a medical model and can assess, diagnose, formulate management plans and perform treatments within their scope of practice (2). While overall your article appears to be balanced and makes clear that PAs are valued, appropriately supervised and working within their competencies, the title of this report is inflammatory, suggesting quite the opposite. Your headline describes PAs as ‘unqualified medics’. This is misleading, implying that PAs are not fully qualified, which, of course, is untrue. This report insinuates fraudulence on part of the PAs as, whilst they are trained to the medical model, they are not, nor should and do not claim to be, doctors. We believe the use of the term “unqualified medics” not only to be slanderous and harmful to our valued and experienced colleagues in Birmingham Childrens Hospital, but to the wider profession as a whole.

On 13 June 2022 (3) you reported on an undercover investigation by BBC panorama. The headline claims that the GP chain involved is ‘replacing doctors with less qualified staff’. You may not have been aware in 2022, but as you accurately reported on 21 November 2023, PAs are not employed to replace doctors; they work alongside doctors (4). Again, in this article you have implied that PAs are not suitably qualified, which is as we have demonstrated, is untrue. They are indeed appropriately and specifically qualified as PAs.

I am sure you can appreciate how implications of unqualified clinicians replacing and posing as doctors could instigate a sense of fear among the public as well as perpetuate confusion on the role and skillset of PAs. Interestingly, the numerous studies finding PAs to be safe and effective (5,6,7) have not been mentioned in your reports.

We assume it was not your intention to create an unjust negative narrative towards PAs. We therefore look forward to the prompt rectification within the following 2 weeks of your articles and would be more than happy to contribute further information if required.

Yours faithfully,

UMAPs

United Medical Associate Professionals

• Paduano, M. (2023) Concern after unqualified medics given senior Birmingham Hospital roles, BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-67478818 (Accessed: 22 January 2024).
• Physician associate title and introduction guidance for PAs, supervisors, employers and organisations: https://www.fparcp.co.uk/file/media/652d35a68d9a6_FPA_Physician_Associate_Titles_and_Introductions_Guidance_FINAL_5_10_23.pdf
• Rahil Sheikh, C.M. and S.H. (2022) UK’s biggest GP chain replacing doctors with less qualified staff, BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61759643 (Accessed: 22 January 2024).
• Additional council meeting on Physician Associates (2023) RCP London. Available at: https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news/additional-council-meeting-physician-associates#:~:text=As%20host%20of%20the%20Faculty,by%20their%20employment%20%E2%80%93%20points%20echoed (Accessed: 24 January 2024).
• Drennan, V.M. et al. (2019) ‘The role of Physician Associates in secondary care: The pa-SCER mixed-methods study’, Health Services and Delivery Research, 7(19), pp. 1–158. doi:10.3310/hsdr07190.
• Halter, M. et al. (2017) ‘Patients’ experiences of consultations with physician associates in Primary Care in England: A qualitative study’, Health Expectations, 20(5), pp. 1011–1019. doi:10.1111/hex.12542.
• NHS choices. Available at: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/medical-associate-professions/impact-case-studies/physician-associate-role-secondary-care-impact-case-study (Accessed: 24 December 2023).