Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for introducing statutory regulation for medical associate professions; and if he will make a statement.

On 7 February 2019 the Government published its response to the consultation on the Regulation of Medical Associate Professions in the United Kingdom, confirming the decision to introducing statutory regulation for physician associates and physicians’ assistants (anesthesia).

Work is now underway to decide which healthcare regulator will take on responsibility for the regulation of these two roles. Once this has been confirmed, the Government will work with relevant stakeholders to develop the required legislation. Bringing non-regulated healthcare professions into statutory regulation is typically done using section 60 of the Health Act 1999. This process takes around 18 to 24 months to complete, subject to Parliamentary time.