The role of physician associates in the NHS

Over recent months, a fierce and sometimes toxic debate has been taking place in the UK about the introduction of physician associates and anaesthetic associates as a new group of regulated health professionals working alongside doctors, nurses, and other health professions.1 However, with many physician associate training programmes already well established in universities for more than a decade, with the regulation of this staff group by the General Medical Council having already started in December 2024, and with more than 3250 people having undergone training in good faith and now in physician associate or anaesthetic associate roles in the NHS, it seems rather late in the day for Royal Colleges,2 the British Medical Association,3 and other stakeholders to be raising fundamental concerns.

The government has asked Dr Gillian Leng to lead a review of physician associates (and anaesthetic associates) in England that will report later this year. It is focused on the safety of the roles, team working, and the delivery of high quality and efficient patient care.4 Its brief excludes consideration of the training …