Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to introduce legislation to regulate physician associates and anaesthesia associates.

We plan to publish the public consultation on the draft legislation that will enable the General Medical Council (GMC) to regulate physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) by the end of 2022. Following this consultation, we will finalise the legislation, complete the required legal checks and lay the order in Parliament in the second half of 2023, subject to Parliamentary time. The GMC will then develop and implement its rules and processes for regulating PAs and AAs within 12 months, enabling regulation to commence in the second half of 2024.