IHCA Statement on Medical Council position on Physician Associates 

 
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) welcomes the publication today of the Medical Council’s position statement on the statutory regulation of Physician Associates (PAs). The Association agrees fully with the Medical Council’s view that it is essential that the PA role is defined with respect to scope of practice, and that PAs cannot be seen as a substitute for doctors.  
 
We are also in agreement that the Medical Council is not the appropriate regulatory body to oversee PAs. In its submission to the HSE on this matter in September, the IHCA made clear that a logical and structured approach must be followed and that this would firstly necessitate an appropriate audit and scoping exercise to be undertaken at national level to identify skill deficits in the health service and the most appropriate healthcare staff required to address them. 
 
The purpose of the exercise should be to establish the risks and benefits of introducing a PA role. The next logical step would be to formulate and define the PA’s scope of practice, not just for “day one” but specifically by reference to the role in the particular specialty or clinical setting in which the PA will practise.  
 
The IHCA has submitted that the professional title of ‘Physician Assistant’ should instead be used in order to reflect their role within clinical teams. To do otherwise would unhelpfully blur the distinction between doctors and nonmedically qualified professionals. The Association will continue to engage with the HSE and the Medical Council on this important issue. 
 
It must be reiterated that patient safety and evidence-based transparent clinical pathways are at the core of any reforms to the delivery of public healthcare. 

ENDS

For more information
Andrew Dunne | andrew.dunne@finnpartners.com | 089 442 6763