Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of recommendation 4 of the Leng Review, published 16 July, that physician associates should not see undifferentiated patients except within clearly defined national clinical protocols, on (1) waiting times and (2) patient access to care.

The Leng Review was clear that for patient safety reasons, physician assistants should not see undifferentiated patients except within clearly defined national clinical protocols. NHS England has written to National Health Service trusts, integrated care boards, and primary care networks, as well as to the staff most affected by the recommendations, to set out the immediate implications of the recommendations. In its letter to employers, NHS England set out that current physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia should remain in post, with their deployment aligned to the recommendations of the review.

The Department, alongside NHS England, royal colleges, and other system partners, including representatives of doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, will develop a detailed implementation plan to address the review’s 18 recommendations, which will consider all relevant factors. Our forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will look at how to get the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care, and we will consider the findings of the Leng Review when developing the plan.