NHS Employers welcomes GMC's approval of courses to teach physician associates

Responding to the General Medical Council (GMC) publishing details of 36 education courses provided by universities and given formal approval to teach physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs), Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, said:

“NHS employers will welcome the rapid progress the GMC is making in discharging its relatively new responsibilities for PA and AA roles. The formal accreditation of the courses of study that PAs and AAs must complete is an essential component of regulation and public safety. We await the outcome of the Leng Review but recognise that individual NHS organisations also have a responsibility to support PAs and AAs to both use their knowledge safely with patients, and to ensure appropriate professional development and supervision.”