Dr Zahra Ali is a junior doctor working in the NHS writing under a pseudonym - she has a passion for healthcare and journalism.

'The doctor will see you now' is an endangered phrase in the world of healthcare.

Periled by staff shortages, the latest innovation of the NHS is the influx of alternative healthcare professionals. These include physician associates (PA) and advanced clinical practitioners (ACP).

There are, however, several flaws with this quick fix. Although it may result in patients being seen by 'someone from the medical team', there is a dark reality to plugging a staggering shortage of doctors in this manner.

A PA is a healthcare professional that works 'as part of a multidisciplinary team with supervision from a named senior doctor', similarly, an ACP has 'developed their skills and knowledge to take on expanded roles and scopes of patient care'. These definitions, however, do not reflect the reality of the situation.

Both PAs and ACPs must undertake either a postgraduate diploma or master's degree before they qualify to assess patients.

In stark contrast, doctors undertake five years of rigorous, holistic training. Unsurprisingly, both PAs and ACPs are restricted by an inability to prescribe and request imaging.

Although this policy may appear to be rational and reasonable, it is in actual fact obstructive. It hinders and impedes a doctor’s ability to effectively carry out their clinical duties.

The NHS is at breaking point and doctors working on the frontline are bearing the brunt of this. We are overworked and overstretched and well-being is at an all-time low.

A junior doctor (known as resident doctors from September 18) is inundated with responsibilities and the burden continues to grow exponentially.

Staffing shortages are usually managed by non-medical individuals who struggle to appreciate the challenges that we face.

Their raison d’être appears to be nothing more than helping the faceless NHS managers to save a few pennies at the expense of doctors and patients.

They are swift to replace staffing gaps with the aforementioned healthcare workers. The caveat is that these colleagues come from backgrounds such as audiology, physiotherapy and midwifery.

Yet, they are expected to be competent in reviewing highly complex, comorbid patients. Limited by their ability to prescribe and order imaging, doctors are expected to do so on their behalf.

Despite not having physically reviewed these patients, their license number is inextricably linked to another's clinical judgment.

Administering incorrect medication or exposing a patient to unwarranted radiation can have catastrophic implications. As a result, doctors either have to review the patient themselves or blindly sign off requests, at the expense of their medical licence. The counter-productivity of these actions is blatant.

In theory, alternative healthcare professionals work under 'a named senior doctor'. This is implausible in practice, a near-impossible feat.

The NHS does not need a stopgap fix. Our healthcare system is in dire need of more doctors in training. This reality needs to be embraced and implemented to lead the NHS back on the road to recovery.