What happens when a concern is raised about a PA or AA?
When someone raises a concern about a physician associate (PA) or anaesthesia associate (AA), we follow a process to make sure we address the concern fairly and thoroughly.
This page outlines the key stages of our process.
Pre-initial assessment
When someone contacts us to raise a concern about a PA or AA, we assess whether it raises a risk to public protection or falls within our remit.
- If it does not, we close the concern.
- But if the concern raises a question about their fitness to practise, we will progress it to an initial assessment.
Initial assessment
We gather relevant evidence, such as medical records and expert reports.
- If no action is needed, we will close the assessment.
- But if we think there is a likelihood that action is needed, we share all the evidence with the PA or AA, and ask for their comments. We then decide whether to refer the case to two senior decision makers – called case examiners.
Interim measures
If – at any stage – we think that the PA or AA's practice should be restricted while we assess the concern, we will refer them to an interim measures tribunal.
Case examiner stage
Two senior decision makers review all the evidence and decide whether their fitness to practise is impaired.
They can:
- refer to the case for an associates tribunal hearing
- close the case
- ask the PA or AA for comments, before deciding whether to issue a warning (if they think that a warning would be appropriate)
- propose to put conditions on their registration
- propose to suspend their registration
- propose to remove them from our register.
At this stage, the PA or AA can:
- reject the proposed terms and can we refer the case for an associates tribunal hearing
- accept the proposed terms and we impose the measure.
If the PA or AA does not respond to our proposed terms, we can either impose the measure or refer the case for an associates tribunal hearing.
