National clinical protocol for PAs undermines doctors’ training, say radiologists

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By Daniel Pye

The draft clinical protocol for physician assistants does not provide sufficient safeguards and undermines doctors’ training, radiologists have warned.

The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) was responding to Professor Gillian Leng’s draft document, which states that PAs should be able to see undifferentiated patients so long as a doctor makes the final diagnosis.

In a post on X the college said: “PAs should not see undifferentiated patients in our specialities.”

Leng’s protocol, currently under consultation, allows for resident doctors at specialty training year 4 level or above to supervise PAs. Supervision should be provided by consultants or specialty and specialist doctors, not resident doctors, the college said.

“PAs should be supporting doctors, not filling workforce gaps,” it added.

This comes after the British Medical Association (BMA) said Leng’s protocol would allow the NHS to use the role “dangerously”.

Professor Partha Kar, a diabetes and endocrinology consultant and the Getting It Right First Time clinical co-lead for diabetes, criticised the plans for involving resident doctors.