🔴NEW: NHS England orders hospitals to stop using physician associates to cover doctors’ shifts after @Telegraph investigation reveals that the practice is widespread.

telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/1… Ministers and NHS executives have repeatedly claimed that PAs and anaesthesia associates (AAs) are not being used to replace doctors.

But leaked documents seen by this newspaper found associates on doctors' rotas at 31 hospitals in England.

Today @TheBMA launches PA and AA 'scope of practice' document. Family of Emily Chesterton, who died aged 30, after being misdiagnosed by a PA, in attendance. Chair Prof Banfield: “we had hoped that this was an isolated case. Sadly, when we've asked doctors, it is not.” 18,000 doctors responded to a recent BMA survey on associates, and 87% expressed patient safety concerns.

1⃣ Ahead of tomorrow’s @UKHouseofLords debate, the family of renowned prosthetic artist Christopher Tucker have urged that the coroner investigate his death

Christopher created masks for John Hurt in David Lynch’s The Elephant Man & Michael Crawford in The Phantom of the Opera

https://twitter.com/JanetEastham/status/1761524813653291286

2⃣Christopher died aged 81 from urosepsis at Royal Berkshire Hospital, less than 48 hours after a PA performed a cystoscopy despite signs of infection

The PA afterwards failed to document the need for antibiotics or to request them from the ward doctor
telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/2…

🔴NEW: Physician associates accused of‘illegally’ prescribing at dozens of NHS trusts and missing life-threatening diagnoses, dossier claims. @TheDA_UK’s survey of 600+ medics comes as @TheBMA says “still time” to stop “dangerous” PA regulation 🧵 telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/2… As medics call on @UKHouseofLords to intervene on GMC regulation of PAs, @Telegraph reveals:
1️⃣ Doctors across UK claim patients’ put at risk by PAs who failed to respond appropriately to medical emergencies – alleging more than 70 instances of patient harm and ‘near misses’. 🧵

1/9 On #Channel4News @alextomo tells us the #frontlinestories of key workers who feel invisible

The refuse collecters, shelf-stackers and bus drivers who keep the UK ticking over in lockdown

One cleaner told us: "Every day I am going to work, risking my life, for £9.41 an hour" 2/9 The hospital cleaner says they were told they didn't need eye protection because "we aren't treating patients". Only on their second #COVIDー19 ward shift did a concerned nurse give them the full PPE. NHS Tayside told us they strictly follow all guidance on appropriate PPE.

THREAD A @Channel4News exclusive from me and @vsmacdonald

Leaked Public Health England document reveals why most frontline NHS staff won’t be tested for #COVIDー19 even if they have symptoms.

In response to our piece, PHE said: “currently no policy position has been agreed.” 🧵The leaked document says:

- The UK does not have lab capacity to test all NHS staff & need to prioritise by clinical need

- Up to 80% of the UK population could be infected with #COVIDー19 in the next 12 months

- As many as 7.9 million people may require hospitalisation