THE BMA announced today that it is taking legal action against the General Medical Council over the way in which it plans to regulate physician associates.

The union is challenging the body’s “unsafe use” of the term “medical professionals” to describe PAs, which it says should only ever be used to refer to qualified doctors.

The legal action was announced by BMA council chairman Professor Philip Banfield at the union’s annual representative meeting in Belfast.

He said: “We are standing up for both doctors and patients to block this ill-thought-through project before it leads to more unintended patient harm.”

Formerly called physicians’ assistants, PAs and other medical associate professionals (Maps) such as surgical care practitioners and anaesthesia associates complete a two-year course rather than a five-year medical degree.

Last year, 30-year-old Emily Chesterton died from a blood clot after she was misdiagnosed after two appointments with a physician associate who she believed was a GP. The government set out a target to recruit 10,000 Maps by 2036.

Co-chairman of Keep Our NHS Public Dr John Puntis said: “While valued team members, Maps must not be used as doctors on the cheap. 

“Changing the name from ‘assistant’ to ‘associate’ and insisting that they are regulated by the General Medical Council appear to be deliberate moves to mislead the public.

“The BMA is right that this is an important patient safety issue and to pursue legal action."

A BMA survey found that 87 per cent of its members had observed Maps working in ways that are a risk to patient safety. 

Mr Banfield also addressed the government’s poor investment in doctors, which he called “an act of vandalism to plunge  general practice in such dire straits.”

A BMA report found last month that four out of five locum GPs cannot get work.

Mr Banfield said: “To have highly qualified doctors turning to other jobs to earn a living, whilst GP practices cannot meet the demands placed on them, is simply bonkers.”

As junior doctors head to the pickets again this week to demand pay restoration, he told Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that calling an election does not get him “off the hook” as he continues to ignore requests to recognise lost pay.

The walkouts will take place from Thursday for five days.