Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the consultation on the role of physician associates announced in his keynote speech to the NHS Providers conference on 30 November 2016 will be launched.

The Government has committed to having 1,000 Physicians Associates (PAs) available to work in general practice by 2020, contributing to a more flexible workforce skill mix and supporting general practitioners.

Health Education England is supporting professional development for the role by working with stakeholders to develop a career framework and professional identity for the profession.

At present qualified PAs are not subject to statutory regulation but the Faculty of Physician Associates, based at the Royal College of Physicians, administers a PA Managed Voluntary Register that has 319 registrants as at March 2017.

The Department is currently considering options for a consultation on the regulation of Physician Associates, which will be published in due course.