The new bill to regulate the profession of Physician's Assistant will be discussed this morning (Sunday) in the Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs, after it was submitted to the Knesset a week ago by MK Idit Silman, chairman of the health committee and chairman of the coalition.
This is the first bill that tries to regulate the new profession in Israel, and estimates in the health system are that the Ministry of Health will support the new bill.
According to estimates by the Ministry of Health, regulating the issue may, among other things, help in one of the most well-publicized struggles in the health system: promoting a shortening of interns' shifts, with the Ministry of Health's plan that interns can also assist physicians.
It is estimated that hundreds of physician assistants will be trained each year, when the academic programs for this profession are arranged in the medical faculties of Ben-Gurion and Ariel universities.
"Make a difference in the system"
Medical assistants are supposed to have appropriate and specialized academic training in Israel or abroad, and by law they will have to pass a national licensing test by the Ministry of Health, similar to doctors. And perform advanced medical operations.
Already today, about 100 physician assistants work in Israel, mainly in the emergency rooms of hospitals, and their work is not regulated by orderly primary legislation like the other medical workers in the health system.
In contrast, in the United States there are already about 160,000 registered medical assistants in various specializations, and the demand for this profession is only growing.
Under the bill, the ethical duties of physician assistants would be determined similarly to those of physicians, and cases would be determined in which disciplinary proceedings could be instituted against them, such as in cases of "showing incapacity or gross negligence in their occupation."
In addition, the Ministry of Health will be required to prescribe follow-up and control processes for physician assistants, "to ensure the professionalism of the care provided by them and the health of patients."
MK Silman told Israel Today that the bill to regulate the profession of assistant physician is a groundbreaking initiative that will bring about a change in the health system in Israel.
"We are leading a significant move today, which will provide a professional response to the shortage of manpower in the health system, and will add hundreds and even thousands of standards, raise the professional level of the treating staff and shorten the waiting time for patients."
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