To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on plans to introduce legislative proposals on the statutory regulation for physician associates.
Answered on
11 July 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 the decision to introducing statutory regulation for physician associates and anaesthesia associates (formerly known as physicians’ assistants (anaesthesia)).
Officials have been working with the devolved administrations to establish which regulatory body should regulate these roles as the regulation of new professions is devolved to Scotland and is a transferred matter in respect of Northern Ireland. We expect to announce the decision shortly.
Once the regulator has been announced, the Government will work with relevant stakeholders to develop the required legislation. Bringing non-regulated healthcare professions into statutory regulation is typically done using Section 60 of the Health Act 1999 and is subject to Parliamentary time.