Physician assistants have failed to secure a High Court injunction stopping the UK Government from rolling out new restrictions on their scope of practice.

Their union, United Medical Associate Professionals (UMAPs), is now threatening legal action against GP practices that ‘hastily’ try to limit physician assistants’ (PAs) responsibilities amid its ongoing court battle to nix the government’s changes.

Back in July, a report led by Royal Society of Medicine president Professor Gillian Leng recommended banning PAs — whose training involves a two-year postgraduate degree — from seeing undifferentiated patients.

The government quickly agreed to this and other recommendations, such as the name change from physician associates to physician assistants and a ban on GP practices hiring PAs without hospital experience.