A pressure group of anaesthetists is trying to raise £500,000 for legal action over the competence of their own assistants.
They are concerned that anaesthetist associates are being used as a cheap alternative to the real thing and putting patients lives at risk.
So they are planning court action to force regulator the General Medical Council to bring in national standards governing what the associates can and cannot do.
But Anaesthetists United has been told lawyers fees will cost £500,000 and they are now trying to raise the money.
Anaesthetists are concerned about the competency of their untrained assistants
Getty
Group co-founder Dr Richard Marks told GB News: “It has been left to local hospitals to make up their own rules.
“We believe that will lead to corner-cutting, inappropriate levels of care and supervision, and risk to patients.”
The doctors union, the British Medical Association, is already planning to challenge the GMC over physician associates who help out GPs.
It follows the death of Emily Chesterton, 30, of Salford in November 2022 after a PA twice failed to spot a blood clot travelling to her lungs.
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Anaesthetists United are trying to raise £500,000
Anaesthetists United
She believed she was seeing a GP about her leg pain and breathlessness.
Chair of the BMA council Professor Philip Banfield said it was wrong to refer to associates as ‘medical professionals’ when they are not doctors.
He added: “We are standing up for both doctors and patients to block this ill thought through project before it leads to more unintended patient harm.”
The GMC will begin regulating medical associates from the end of the year.
Dr Marks said: “The GMC are now using costs as a weapon. They have refused to mediate and we are looking at having to raise £500k - money that will go to lawyers instead of healthcare.”
A GMC spokesperson said: “We have received correspondence from Anaesthetists United Ltd’s lawyers informing us of their intention to seek a judicial review. We are considering their claims and will respond in due course.”
An NHS spokesperson said: “The NHS has been clear that medical associate professions are not a substitute for doctors but are highly trained roles to support doctors to do their jobs with appropriate supervision.
"Last month, the NHS issued guidance on the appropriate deployment of these roles.”
