Readers respond to the British Medical Association’s warning that the increasing use of ‘non-doctors’ in medical roles is unsafe
I am an advanced clinical practitioner in acute respiratory medicine, and the British Medical Association’s (BMA) characterisation of practitioners like me as unsafe “substitute doctors” demands a response (Safety fears as UK hospitals use nurses to cover for doctors due to shortage of medics, 25 April).
Every shift, I assess and manage patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations, pulmonary embolisms, pneumonia and acute respiratory failure, taking clinical responsibility in a consultant-led multidisciplinary team, underpinned by a master’s-level qualification and over a decade of specialist experience. This is not doctor substitution. This is advanced practice: a distinct, evidence-based clinical role that enhances patient care rather than compromising it.
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Readers respond to the British Medical Association’s warning that the increasing use of ‘non-doctors’ in medical roles is unsafeI am an advanced clinical practitioner in acute respiratory medicine, and the British Med...
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