It’s Not Too Late To Change Course: GPs Urge Government To Retrain Physician Associates As Doctors
by General Practitioners Aotearoa · SCOOPGeneral Practitioners Aotearoa (GPA) has deep concerns about how overseas-trained physician associates (PAs) are regulated and deployed in the Aotearoa New Zealand health workforce.
As of this month, PAs – previously a role only recognised overseas – are able to register in New Zealand.
“This is another example of politicians looking for cheap wins on the healthcare crisis,” says GPA spokesperson Dr Buzz Burrell.
“The government will do literally anything, including register an entirely new form of health worker, to avoid bolstering the GP workforce as evidence suggests they should.”
GPA’s position on PAs practising in New Zealand is that employers and the government should support them to retrain in established professions such as GPs, nurses, paramedics and occupational therapists.
Burrell says people don’t know what a PA is, but they do understand it’s getting harder and harder to have your own GP.
“So get us more GPs. We need more whānau doctors, sitting in rooms with patients, diagnosing and caring for them.”
He says PAs are paid less than doctors, and asked to diagnose and treat patients without the requisite training.
“Quite frankly, healthcare providers are taking advantage of PAs.”
There is, at best, insufficient evidence that physician associates are a safe addition to the workforce, and at worst there is emerging evidence from the UK and USA that they may contribute to increased health system costs and worse quality of care.
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“GPs have a superpower,” Burrell says. “We have an incredibly broad knowledge of healthcare and disease. We are expert diagnosticians, and that comes from years of GP training.”
Employee GPs working alongside PAs are being asked to do additional unpaid work supervising PAs, contributing to GP workload instead of easing it.
GP shortages can only be fixed by increasing funding and support to general practice, therefore increasing the GP workforce.
Burrell says his main message to the Government and Medical Council of New Zealand is that it is not too late to change course.
“There are 60 or so PAs already practising in Aotearoa, so let’s welcome them into the health workforce by cross-crediting their training into medical school and the GP college,” he says.
“Let’s get them qualified as GPs and then pay them right so they stay here and care for Kiwis who desperately need a family doctor.”
GPA urges the government to commit to adequate resourcing to ensure a robust and sustainable GP workforce, and not to be distracted by alternatives.
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