Physician and anaesthetic associates: remember the people behind the debate

We feel compelled to respond to Greenhalgh and McKee’s rapid systematic review of recent research on physician associates (PAs) and anaesthetic associates (AAs).1 The debate can be “toxic”1 and “venomous,”2 and the wellbeing of PAs and AAs themselves is being overlooked. As doctors who work with PAs in a UK undergraduate medical education department, we witness the mental health impact of this debate daily.