Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of instructing the General Medical Council to regulate (a) physician and (b) anaesthesia associates on the quality of care.

Introducing statutory regulation for these roles will enhance patient safety. Regulation will provide a standardised framework of governance and assurance for clinical practice and professional conduct, to enable anaesthesia associates (AAs) and physician associates (Pas) to make a greater contribution to patient care.

The assessment of the appropriate regulatory body for PA and AA regulation was completed in 2019 following a public consultation. Most respondents to the consultation were in favour of the General Medical Council (GMC) taking on regulation.

Regulation by the GMC will mean that the organisation will have responsibility and oversight of doctors, AAs and PAs, allowing them to take a holistic approach to the education, training and standards of all three roles. This will enable a more coherent and co-ordinated approach to regulation and, by making it easier for employers, patients, and the public to understand the relationship between these roles and doctors, help to embed them in the workforce.