Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring (a) Anaesthesia Associates and (b) Physician Associates to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The assessment of the appropriate regulatory body for Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs) regulation was completed in 2019. On 7 February 2019, the Government published its response to the consultation, Regulation of Medical Associate Professions in the UK. This response confirmed its decision to introduce statutory regulation for AAs and PAs, and set out that the majority of consultation respondents were in favour of the General Medical Council (GMC) taking on regulation of these roles. Following further work by the Department, on 18 July 2019, the Government announced that it would be asking the GMC to regulate both roles.

No further assessments have been made of the potential merits of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulating AAs and PAs, and there have been no recent discussions with the HCPC on this matter. The Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates Order has now been approved by Parliament following debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords. The legislation enables the GMC to commence regulation for the two roles at the end of 2024.

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 the regulation of Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates by the General Medical Council on the average (a) cost and (b) waiting times for cases to be (i) investigated and (ii) concluded under processes administered by that body.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The General Medical Council (GMC), as an independent organisation, will be responsible for the regulation of Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs).

The GMC has confirmed that it will put resources in place to deal swiftly and fairly with future complaints and concerns about AAs and PAs, without impacting on service delivery for doctors. The cost of fitness to practise processes for AAs and PAs will depend on case volumes, which are currently unknown. These costs will be met from registration fees paid by AAs and PAs, supported by transitional funding from the Department.

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 on patient safety of the regulation by the General Medical Council of (a) physician and (b) anaesthesia associates.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Regulation of Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs) by the General Medical Council (GMC) will mean that individual AAs and PAs can be held to account if serious concerns are raised.

Regulation will provide set standards of practice, education, and training for AAs and PAs as well as requirements around continual professional development and conduct. The GMC set the standards required for entry to its register by approving the curricula and assessments for AA and PA courses. These standards will give assurance that AA and PA students have demonstrated the core knowledge, skills and professional and ethical behaviours necessary to work safely and competently in their areas of practice. Regulation will also help bring further clarity to patients and healthcare professionals on the nature of these roles and their remits.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with her counterpart in the Welsh government on the regulation of (a) physician associates and (b) anaesthesia associates.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ministers have corresponded with their counterparts in the Welsh Government, alongside those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, in taking forward the work to bring physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) into regulation.

The regulation of PAs and AAs has been subject to extensive public consultation over several years. Throughout the project, officials have engaged thoroughly with stakeholders including the regulators, the devolved administrations, the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, representative bodies, and service users in developing the policy behind this legislation.

This engagement has been crucial in shaping both our policy intention and the resultant legislation, to ensure that it remains a practical piece of legislation for the benefit of patient safety and registrants.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken to engage with the medical and surgical colleges on the proposed regulation of anaesthesia associates and physician associates.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The regulation of anaesthesia associates (AAs) and physician associates (PAs) has been subject to extensive stakeholder engagement and public consultation over several years. Officials have corresponded with the Faculty of PAs at the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Anaesthetists, along with other royal colleges and professional organisations, throughout the development of the policy and the legislation which will bring the roles into regulation.

This engagement has been crucial in shaping our policy intent and the legislative drafting, to ensure that the resultant legislation is pragmatic and will benefit patient safety and registrants. We will monitor the impact of the legislation to ensure that it continues to best serve the interests of patients and the public, as well as the regulators and their registrants. We will actively seek feedback from the royal colleges and professional bodies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to regulate the physician associate role.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

On 13 December 2023, the Department laid draft legislation in both Houses and in the Scottish Parliament that will empower the General Medical Council (GMC) to regulate physician associates and anaesthesia associates.

Subject to parliamentary scrutiny, this legislation will instruct the GMC to commence regulation. The GMC will then have to consult on their own rules, policies and guidance and begin regulating these roles in or before December 2024.

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.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social 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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of regulating NHS (a) physician and (b) anaesthesia associates through the Health and Care Professions Council.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The assessment of the appropriate regulatory body for physician associate (PA) and anaesthesia associate (AA) regulation was completed in 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 its decision to introduce statutory regulation for PAs and AAs. Most respondents to the consultation were in favour of the General Medical Council (GMC) taking on regulation.

Following further work by the Department, on 18 July 2019, the Government announced that it would be asking the GMC to regulate both roles. No further assessments have been made of the potential merits of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulating PAs and AAs and there have been no recent discussions with the HCPC on this matter.

Regulation by the GMC will mean that the organisation will have responsibility and oversight of all three professions allowing them to take a holistic approach to the education, training, and standards of the 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.

On 13 December 2023, the Department laid draft legislation in both Houses and in the Scottish Parliament that will empower the GMC to commence regulation for the two roles by the end of 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with the Health and Care Professions Council on the regulation of NHS (a) physician and (b) anaesthesia associates.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The assessment of the appropriate regulatory body for physician associate (PA) and anaesthesia associate (AA) regulation was completed in 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 its decision to introduce statutory regulation for PAs and AAs. Most respondents to the consultation were in favour of the General Medical Council (GMC) taking on regulation.

Following further work by the Department, on 18 July 2019, the Government announced that it would be asking the GMC to regulate both roles. No further assessments have been made of the potential merits of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulating PAs and AAs and there have been no recent discussions with the HCPC on this matter.

Regulation by the GMC will mean that the organisation will have responsibility and oversight of all three professions allowing them to take a holistic approach to the education, training, and standards of the 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.

On 13 December 2023, the Department laid draft legislation in both Houses and in the Scottish Parliament that will empower the GMC to commence regulation for the two roles by the end of 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of regulating (a) anaesthesia and (b) physician associates through the General Medical Council on public perception of those roles.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The assessment of the appropriate regulatory body for physician associate (PA) and anaesthesia associate (AA) regulation was completed in 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 its decision to introduce statutory regulation for PAs and AAs. Most respondents to the consultation were in favour of the General Medical Council (GMC) taking on regulation.

Following further work by the Department, on 18 July 2019, the Government announced that it would be asking the GMC to regulate both roles. No further assessments have been made of the potential merits of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulating PAs and AAs and there have been no recent discussions with the HCPC on this matter.

Regulation by the GMC will mean that the organisation will have responsibility and oversight of all three professions allowing them to take a holistic approach to the education, training, and standards of the 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.

On 13 December 2023, the Department laid draft legislation in both Houses and in the Scottish Parliament that will empower the GMC to commence regulation for the two roles by the end of 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to bring forward legislation to regulate physician associates.

Answered by Will Quince

Both in training, and subsequently qualified practice, physician associates (PAs) must work with a dedicated medical supervisor which will be a consultant, general practitioner, or other senior medical personnel.

PAs undertake two years of postgraduate training which involves supervised practice with real patients in clinical attachments. The dedicated medical supervisor is responsible for the supervision and management of a student’s educational progress throughout the clinical placements of the course. However, any professional in a placement location who is competent to do so may train, supervise, and assess a PA student in a particular skill, procedure, or competence. This includes practising PAs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

The Government is progressing the required legislation which will the enable the General Medical Council (GMC) to regulate the PA role. We plan to lay legislation before the House at the end of 2023, which will allow the GMC to commence regulation by the end of 2024. Regulation by the GMC will provide a standardised framework of governance and assurance for the clinical practice and professional conduct of PAs.

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.

Answered by Will Quince

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.

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 2 November 2022 to Question 77355 on Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates: Regulation, if it is still his intention to 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.

Answered by Will Quince

The Government remains committed to the work which will enable the General Medical Council to regulate Anaesthesia Associates and physician associates. We plan to publish the public consultation on the draft legislation early in 2023.