BMA: Safe Scope of Practice for Medical Associate Professionals (7 March 2024)

Summary

Landmark national guidance outlining how MAPs (medical associate professionals) can work safely and effectively in the NHS, has been published by the British Medical Association (BMA).

The association has unveiled its report Safe Scope of Practice, which sets out in highly detailed terms the responsibilities of MAPs including PAs (physician associates) and AA (anaesthesia associates).

Described as a ‘first of its kind’ the report uses a traffic light-style system to illustrate what clinical duties MAPs should be able to carry out, as well as those responsibilities from which they should be prohibited. 

The guidance also sets out six general principles for how MAPs should be deployed in primary and secondary-care settings.

The guidance comes as the Government continues to press ahead with its plans to have PAs regulated by the GMC despite intense opposition to such a move from the BMA.

Content

BMA general principles for safe PA working:

1. This is an assistant role to doctors helping with simple practical procedures, administrative tasks, and working with patients in a supportive and specified role. 
2. This does not extend to seeing undifferentiated patients in any situation. 
3. When seeing differentiated patients (those already triaged by a doctor as appropriate, or already assessed, diagnosed, and on a treatment plan by a doctor), MAPs must be directly and closely supervised. 
4. PAs/AAs/SCPs must not make independent management decisions for patients nor be responsible for initial assessments of patients and diagnosis. 
5. MAPs must make it clear in all communication to patients and to other staff members that they are not doctors and be clear about their specific role. 
6. Statements such as ‘I am one of the medical team’ must not be used unless also stating their own title.