Time to act, time to VOTE.
When the FPA opens voting to its members after the AGM today 29/4/24, to open the voting to become an independent organisation, we must vote in favour of this.
Surely, even the most blind of us can see the slowest tidal wave of restrictive practices, ambiguous positioning, and the dictation on how we work, is slowly flooding every corner of our work life (and is starting to filter through into our personal lives too).
Over the last 6 months, we’ve seen what had previously been our long-standing allies turn against our favour in the fight for regulation and turn us into their hostages.
The RCP EGM has revealed its true feelings towards PAs and is now on a march to stop PAs from apparently taking over the world.
Recently the very pro-PA Society of Gastroenterologists (see article) did a full 180-degree turn and has since advised halting of the expansion of PAs in practice.
The RCGP, our long-standing friend for PAs in GP land has also become anti-PA with their recent red lines and inquiry into PA practice.
It’s so sad that during these times in the NHS, so many organisations that represent doctors are focused on a profession that they simply do not represent.
Why spend so much time and energy focusing on PAs (who represent less than 2% of the entire medical workforce), rather than listening to their members to improve doctors’ working conditions?
This is why having an independent FPA is the best option for us, as a profession, to move forward.
We have an opportunity to choose, influence, and recommend how we work and what that looks like.
The PA profession would eventually become independent anyway, as every other professional group has done in the past when it reaches a certain stage, but it seems the anti-PA sentiment has only forced us to bring this subject forward.
I hope you can see what will happen if we don’t act now. With its current projection, even I don’t see why I would want to stay working as a PA. But I know, if we can vote for change at the AGM today, we can have hope that PAs can have a career to be proud of.
Voting remains open until 6th May 2024.
Disclaimer – The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily reflect the official position of our organization, The PA+PER.