To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the publication by the British Medical Association entitled BMA position statement on physician associates and anaesthesia associates, published on 18 September 2023.

The Department shares the British Medical Association’s view that all healthcare professionals must introduce themselves and explain their role to patients. This includes physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs). There are no plans to change the title of either role.

The Department is clear that PAs and AAs are not doctors. The role of medical associates is to work with and support doctors, not to replace them.

Regulation will give the General Medical Council responsibility and oversight of doctors, PAs and AAs, allowing it to take a holistic approach to the education, training and standards of the roles. This will enable a more co-ordinated approach to regulation and make it easier for employers, patients, and the public to understand the relationship between these roles and doctors.

Regulation and growth of these roles will support plans to reduce pressure on frontline services and improve access for patients. As part of the work to deliver the Long Term Workforce Plan, NHS England continues to work with the relevant professional colleges and regulators to ensure the use of associate roles is expanded safely and effectively.