The recent regulation of physician associates in New Zealand has been slammed by a medical advocate, who says it is a waste of resources and is putting patients at risk.
Physician associates (PAs) are healthcare providers who practise medicine in the workforce under supervision of doctors, often helping to fill gaps in smaller hospitals or practises.
On Sunday, Minister of Health Simeon Brown announced the regulation and recognition of the role, which he said would reduce wait times, improve efficiency and help put patients first.
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said it was a misuse of resources.
"I’m not quite sure why, as a country, we would want to invest in this particular workforce group.
"There are only a handful currently working in New Zealand.
"They’re an entirely overseas-trained workforce and there is no clinical task currently performed by a PA that can’t be performed by an already regulated trained clinician."
The move would lead to further reliance on overseas-trained staff.
For Ms Dalton and her organisation it was far more important to invest in the New Zealand workforce.
The use of PAs in smaller or more rural parts of the country to aid the workforce was no justification, as it was no equivalent to good medical care.
"I don’t think it’s a good deal for regional or rural populations.
"We need to work out solutions where we can have properly trained and qualified doctors, nurse practitioners and specialists out there available to see people.
"I think [rural populations] deserve the same level of care that you would get if you lived in an urban area."
Ms Dalton stressed she was not disrespecting the PAs and their skills, but said the solution was to be better and produce more medical staff, not plug in gaps.
"Train more doctors, pay GPs and hospital doctors and offer them the types of conditions which will encourage them to work in rural areas and stay in New Zealand.
"We just need to make sure this is an attractive place for them to train, to work, and to stay."
New Zealand Nurses Organisation president Anne Daniels said in a statement physician associates were under qualified to provide adequate care and she was concerned for patient safety.
"Here in New Zealand there have been concerns physician associates have failed to take a patient’s blood pressure, leading to a brain bleed and loss of vision."
She also cited issues in the United Kingdom, where a cancer misdiagnosis led to the death of a young mother, the illegal prescribing of controlled substances and other medical blunders PAs were responsible for.
The practice was a step backwards, and must be remedied immediately, Mrs Daniels said.
"The introduction of physician associates is an unnecessary quick and cheap fix to the doctor shortage, when we have a competent and experienced nurse practitioner workforce available to do this work.
"The minister must immediately stop the introduction and regulation of physician associates here."
