GMC welcomes upcoming laying of AA and PA Order

Responding to the publication of Regulating anaesthesia associates and physician associates consultation and ahead of the Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates Order (AAPAO), due to be laid in Westminster and the Scottish Parliament Wednesday 13 December, Charlie Massey, Chief Executive of the General Medical Council said:

‘We welcome this significant milestone towards becoming the regulator of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs). We now continue our work towards bringing these valuable professions into regulation by the end of 2024.

‘PAs and AAs are vital members of multidisciplinary teams and practise across the UK to complement the work of doctors. We know that better supported teams, and more manageable workloads, lead to better patient care. The development of these roles should help the health service deal with ongoing pressures.

‘In July 2019, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), with the support of the four UK governments, asked us to regulate physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs). Since then, we have worked hard to design detailed regulatory processes for registration, education, standards and fitness to practise for both professions. By bringing both professions under our regulation, we will ensure AAs and PAs have the knowledge and skills to work safely in the UK.

‘This change will make us a multiprofessional regulator and pave the way for further changes. Following this milestone, we look forward to the DHSC’s progression of further reforms for doctors – as well as governance and operating framework reforms for the GMC – as a priority. This will allow us to be more efficient, less adversarial and give us the flexibility to better protect patients and support all registrants.’