Julia is far from alone. United Medical Associate Professionals (UMAPs), a body which represents physician (PAs) and anaesthesia associate (AAs), says there are countless examples like this with staff facing bullying and being sidelined.
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which represents senior doctors in the NHS, has warned the whole situation has become so “destructive” that it is damaging teamwork across hospitals and GP surgeries where PAs and AAs work.
It has cited the particularly acrimonious debate on social media, which has seen regular attacks about the pay and professionalism of PAs and AAs as well as discussions about how they can be undermined in the workplace.
This week the Health Secretary Wes Streeting decided he needed to act, ordering a review into PAs and AAs in England to resolve what he said had become a “toxic” row.
So how has it come to this, with doctors turning against the very people brought in to support them?
The PA role is hardly new in the NHS – it has been around for 20 years, helping doctors by doing tasks such as taking medical histories and carrying out examinations.
What has changed is the speed at which they are being recruited – over the last seven years the numbers have gone from a few hundred to 3,500 currently with a target of 12,000, including AAs, by 2036.