AMA puts physician assistants on notice with Minister
Quality of care need not be sacrificed by importing an unregulated workforce.
AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen has written to the Minister for Health and Aged Care to warn against the recruitment of more physician assistants (PAs) in Australia.
Queensland Health is currently exploring options to increase their PA workforce, which was successfully postponed by AMA Queensland before the recent state election.
Dr McMullen’s letter states Australia’s health system does not require the introduction of a ‘new health profession’, instead calling on all governments to focus on building the skills and capacity of the existing healthcare workforce, including encouraging more team-based models of care.
The letter also highlights the risks to patient safety, as PAs are not a regulated profession in Australia and there are no accredited training programs for PAs. This workforce would need to be recruited from overseas and would not undergo appropriate independent assessment of their skills and experience. This represents a significant risk to patient safety, particularly given the level of risk that is associated with the front-line roles they are likely to be recruited to.
The AMA has been extremely concerned with developments in the United Kingdom where the PA workforce rapidly expanded its scope. The British Medical Association continues to highlight safety issues and the impact on doctors resulting from the expansion of the PA workforce.
