Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2022 to Question 77355 on Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates: Regulation, for what reason his Department did not publish the public consultation on the draft legislation aimed at enabling the General Medical Council to regulate physician associates and anaesthesia associates by the end of 2022.

The Department’s focus remains on addressing National Health Service winter pressures and ensuring that patients have access to the services that they need. The work to regulate Anaesthesia Associates and physician associates continues to be progressed and we plan to publish the public consultation on the draft legislation in early 2023.