NHS Employers responds to the Royal College of Physicians outcome of their Extraordinary General Meeting of Fellows

Responding to the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) outcome of their Extraordinary General Meeting of Fellows (EGM) on Physician Associates (PAs), Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers part of the NHS Confederation, said:

"The NHS shares with the RCP a desire to ensure that all the roles caring for patients work in safe and effective ways, keeping pace with technology and changes in what patients need and expect.

"The Royal Colleges play a key role in working with their own members and fellows and with other professions to develop practice, education and standards to support this endeavour. This motion from the RCP reinforces the measures already in train to regulate Physician and Anaesthesia Associates (AAs), and the associated consultation on standards to be started shortly by the General Medical Council (GMC).  

"Royal Colleges and the NHS will continue to work together to set out the scope of practice for AAs and PAs: which to be clear are a small but much valued part of teams caring for patients across the NHS."