15-07-2025
Six patient deaths linked to use of ‘substitute' doctors by NHS
Six patient deaths have been linked to the NHS introducing physician associates as a 'substitute' for fully trained doctors, a government-commissioned review has found.
Professor Gillian Leng, the president of the Royal Society of Medicine, was asked by Wes Streeting, the health secretary, to examine the role of physician associates (PAs), a group of 3,500 NHS staff who assist doctors but do not have a medical degree.
Leng's 134-page report concluded there had been cases where PAs had been used as a substitute for doctors in the NHS, which was 'clearly risky and confusing for patients'.
She said that, in future, PAs should be renamed physician 'assistants' and wear lanyards, badges and uniforms that make it clear to patients that they are not trained doctors.
