The General Medical Council (GMC) has announced that regulating Physician Associates (PAs) and Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) will benefit patients and support general practice. The GMC Chair, Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen, emphasized that this regulation will reassure the public that PAs and AAs are appropriately qualified and accountable for their actions. It will also help these professionals complement doctors’ skills, thereby alleviating some of the pressure on GPs.
The regulation, set to begin on December 13, 2024, aims to ensure that PAs and AAs meet the necessary standards of patient care and professional behaviour. This move is expected to promote public confidence and improve the sustainability of general practice by addressing the high demand for care.
Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen said:
“GPs are working hard to insulate patients from the ill effects of a strained system. But it’s painfully clear, to public and profession alike, that general practice is not on a sustainable footing.
“Something, or perhaps many things, have to change. More of the same just means more of the same – overburdened doctors who can’t give their patients the care they need and deserve. We have to confront this challenge. Doing so requires fresh thinking.’
“It will reassure the public that those treating them are appropriately qualified and will be held accountable for their actions. And it will help support the development of these professions, which already play a crucial role in meeting modern health needs.
“PAs and AAs are not doctors and they cannot replace them. What they can do, though, is complement doctors’ skills by working alongside them, freeing up doctors to do what only they can do.”
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