Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment they have made on the impact of the Leng Review (2025) on the availability of work for graduates of i) integrated Master's degrees of Physician associates and ii) postgraduates of Physician Associate Studies.

We recognise that currently there are employment challenges for newly qualified physician assistants (PAs), also known as physician associates, and that the national conversation around the role has been, and still is at times, difficult.

As with many health and care professions, decisions around the recruitment of newly qualified PAs are made by individual National Health Service employing organisations in line with their workforce plans and policies. NHS England is not an employer of PAs but provides system leadership on implementing recommendations from the Leng Review.

NHS England is actively engaging employers regionally and at a national level to understand employment issues. Together with the insights and experiences of clinical experts involved in the delivery of education and training, this will inform how we steward and guide the system to support employers and resolve barriers to employment.

The Leng Review recommended that newly qualified PAs should gain at least two years’ experience in secondary care prior to taking a role in primary care or a mental health trust. NHS England is developing delivery options and, through its regions, will engage with local employers to design and select the right model, which best reflects the local clinical context and can be incorporated into a multi-disciplinary workforce to meet patient needs.