Government asks GPs to provide practice-level data on physician associates

The Government has called on GPs to submit their own practice-level analysis and data on physician associates (PAs), as part of a major review into the safety of the roles.

Practices have been asked to provide their own data from audits on safety and efficacy, and on patient experience, to help assess the safety of PAs working in general practice.

On Friday, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published an open call for evidence for its national review into PAs and anaesthesia associates, which will sit alongside other evidence such as a targeted survey for PAs and those that work with them, a review of published research, and focus groups with patients.

The call for evidence specifically asked for submissions of practice-level analysis, including those ‘based on audit data, patient throughput or local collection of safety and efficacy data’.

GP practices have also been encouraged to submit any ‘analysis of patient experience’, including ‘complaints, compliments and feedback’.

The review will also accept:

education and training provider analysis, including evaluation of curricula, quality assurance reports or local collections of data;
union-led analysis, including the function of multidisciplinary teams, staffing levels and education and training;
unpublished research.

Any practice-level data submitted directly to the review will need to be approved by the senior GP partner.

The Government also emphasised that submissions must not include information that may identify individuals, and must be ‘analysed and summarised’ beforehand, as the review team ‘cannot handle unprocessed data’.

It said: ‘The review will take an open and transparent approach to gathering evidence from all stakeholders and will be based on the best available evidence and data.

‘This call for evidence forms one part of a multi-method approach to evidence gathering. In line with the review’s commitment to be collaborative and inclusive, there will be other ways for relevant groups and organisations to share their views.’

Health secretary Wes Streeting launched the review of PAs and anaesthesia associates (AAs) in November in order to ‘establish the facts’ amid what he called a ‘toxic debate’.

The Government later clarified that the central question of the review, led by Professor Gillian Leng, will be whether PAs are ‘safe and effective as members of a multidisciplinary team’.

Professor Leng is expected to report in the spring, and her review will inform the ‘refreshed workforce plan’ that the Government has committed to publish in summer, as well as the 10-year health plan.

The review will also cover cost-effectiveness and supervision, and will consider the scope of practice for PAs at the start of their working career, but will not set out a detailed scope by setting.

Last week, the BMA urged GPs to share their experiences of working with PAs in a new survey, which will help shape the union’s response to the Leng review.

Meanwhile, the RCGP has already submitted evidence to the review, which argued that there is ‘no role’ for physician associates in general practice, with GPs reporting specific examples of patient safety ‘being compromised’ by their work.