Physician Associates: Regulation

(asked on 8th July 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to announce a decision on whether the (a) General Medical Council or (b) Health and Care Professions Council will be responsible for the regulation of Physician Associates.


Answered by
Stephen Hammond Portrait
Stephen Hammond
This question was answered on 11th July 2019

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 anaesthesia associates (formerly known as physicians’ assistants (anaesthesia)).

Officials have been working with the devolved administrations to establish which regulatory body should regulate these roles as the regulation of new professions is devolved to Scotland and is a transferred matter in respect of Northern Ireland. We expect to announce the decision shortly.

Once the regulator has been announced, 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 and is subject to Parliamentary time.

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