@SKinnock So will this 'independent prescribing' extend to pharmacy technicians, as it already does for EHC and oral contraception? If pharmacists don't have the necessary training and qualifications to diagnose undifferentiated patients, pharmacy technicians will be even more dangerous!
@DavidSmithWales@HillsBekki15323@medicalmodelbri It was expressing my concerns about the lack of implementation of the Leng review recommendations and also the risks to patients by the continued use of PAs / AAs in Primary and Secondary care.
@medicalmodelbri This is the response I received from a Health Minister when I contacted my MP about the PA / AA scandal. My reply included the suggestion that she looks at your X account and also checks out NHS jobs for evidence of doctor substitution!
@kiityc@WoollerEmma@DrSteveTaylor@benn_elisbenn I agree. There are also possible safeguarding issues, especially for under 16s requesting EHC. I don't think pharmacists are sufficiently trained to identify and assess these, let alone pharmacy technicians. It requires high level consultation skills to recognise the signs.
@pharmabob@DrSteveTaylor Well there was opposition from pharmacists to PTs using PGDs to issue OC and EHC so perhaps it's not as embarrassing as you think. As I said, sexual health HCAs aren't allowed to use PGDs and they have more experience of SH consultations, contraception, and safeguarding than PTs
@pharmabob@DrSteveTaylor By NP do you mean Nurse Practitioner? There is a vast difference in the training, experience, and education of NPs compared to pharmacy technicians. They are registered healthcare professionals. In Sexual Health services HCAs cannot use PGDs so why allow pharmacy technicians?
@medicalmodelbri@pash22@TheGPhC@NHSEngland@AnnaColivicchi@DrSteveTaylor Role substitution is happening within pharmacies too. Pharmacy technicians now able to conduct consultations and issue meds such as oral and emergency contraception, using PGDs! Serious concerns and objections from the PDA were ignored. https://t.co/KphasZFza2.
@lisanandy@wesstreeting@GMB . Why is Lisa Nandy still referring to 'junior'doctors? Their title has been 'resident' doctors for over a year now! Also no mention of the scandalous replacement of doctors by PAs, ANPs whilst qualified doctors are unemployed. #DoctorsStrike#BMA
@DHSCgovuk@SKinnock Why are you pretending the emergency contraception service in pharmacies is new? It's been operating as a locally commissioned service for many years. It's just being commissioned nationally now. And now pharmacy technicians can prescribe it - which is worrying to say the least.
@DrNeenaJha Very worrying. Also, pharmacy technicians will be allowed to prescribe oral contraception and emergency contraception under the expanded national scheme from next month. At the moment only qualified pharmacists can do this.
@Oldboatie Exactly! They need to instigate a management of change process and offer them Doctors' Assistant posts (Band 3/4). The PA role was never needed in the way it has been allowed to develop. This case study from East Sussex explains the DA role perfectly: https://t.co/UE76qJBag8
@ProfRobHoward@lengreview https://t.co/pkl6PSgrof - hereโs a case study by East Sussex outlining the duties of the roleโฆ more of this is needed as opposed to increasing the scope of โadvancedโ PAs in my opinion
@LittlePersonDoc Unbelievable! I honestly don't understand why PAs/AAs have been enabled by Unis, senior doctors and Trusts to undertake roles for which they are dangerously unqualified. Why was a whole (new) staff group allowed to get away with murder (literally!)? Why no Datixes?
@StellaE12025004@JPEG_tologist@LittlePersonDoc I agree. I also think that because the course is called a 'Masters' (joke!), a lot of them honestly believe that they are as qualified as doctors and that 2 years on a non-medical course equals at least 7 years of medical training This shows a worrying lack of intelligence.
@BBCSport No commentary on the doubles match involving Gonzalez so we will never know if your commentators would pronounce his name 'Gonthaleth', as they pronounce Alcaraz as Alcarath. The umpire is saying Gonzalez though! Because we are in England and he is speaking English!
@BBCSport Could you please advise your Wimbledon commentators that, as we are not in Spain and they are not speaking Spanish, 'Alcaraz' should be pronounced as it is spelt, not 'Alcarath'. Even Spanish speaking friends think Alcarath sounds pretentious on an English TV channel.
@jcat81516@Roddy_Neilson But surely not on Band 7 to undertake a role that B3 HCAs can do? There was never a need for PAs/AAs and the whole project was based on NHSE misleading Trusts and HCPs into believing that they were equivalent to doctors. Forget the name change. The whole thing needs to be stopped
@2manypeople4me@simontutt88@FunctionsZeta@physicianassoci@lengreview Agreed. And I imagine working in a GP surgery is preferable to doing shifts and attending distressing medical emergencies, not to mention the physical strain. More paramedics in primary care surely leads to fewer in secondary care, with the consequent increase in waiting times.