Physician associates (PAs) should not conduct medical examinations for children who have reported abuse or are at risk of abuse, according to guidance from the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians. An NHS trust had employed a PA for safeguarding work instead of a pediatrician, leading to concerns about successful future prosecutions. The PA at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust had been carrying out child sexual abuse medicals under supervision. The guidance emphasizes that PAs are not recognized as professional legal witnesses and should not provide evidence for courts. The potential impact on legal proceedings prompted the issuance of the guidance on 1 October.
Source link
Child protection medicals must be carried out only by doctors, not PAs, say safeguarding experts
