Emily (she/her) #ActuallyAutistic 🌈

This case is utterly tragic. A patient experiencing abdominal pain and vomiting was seen by a physician associate and diagnosed with a nosebleed, and was discharged from hospital that same day. She died two days later after having a catastrophic bowel obstruction. The coroner concluded that the ‘physician associate’ title is misleading to the public and that ‘no steps’ had been taken by NHS staff to correct the family of the false impression that the PA was a doctor. The coroner also dismissed the hospital’s idea that PAs are equivalent to doctors on the medical rotas, and that ‘blurring roles’ puts lives at risk. Meanwhile the expansion of the role of PAs within the NHS continues, with the green light also being given to recruit PAs from WHO red list countries. Patient safety is paramount. @wesstreeting must act now to prevent further cases like this happening.