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 merits of renaming the Physician Associate job title; and what steps she is taking to provide information on the role of Physician Associates to patients.

The physician associate (PA) title has been well established in the United Kingdom since 2014. There are no plans to change the title.

Ahead of regulation by the General Medical Council (GMC), the Faculty of PAs has issued guidance for PAs, supervisors, employers, and organisations, which helps to provide a structured and standardised way of using the title. The GMC has also published interim standards for PAs in advance of regulation which make it clear that professionals should always introduce their role to patients and set out their responsibilities in the team.

In implementing the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, NHS England is working with the relevant professional colleges and regulators, to ensure the PA role is expanded safely and effectively. In addition, NHS England has produced patient-facing materials that have been shared widely with general practices to support patient awareness and understanding of the role.

The introduction of regulation by the GMC will provide a standardised framework of governance and assurance for the clinical practice and professional conduct of PAs and make it easier for employers, patients, and the public to understand the relationship between this role and that of doctors.