GMC response to the Leng Review’s call for evidence: Independent review of physician associate and anaesthesia associate professions (21 March 2025)

Summary

The General Medical Council (GMC) has submitted its response to Professor Gillian Leng’s independent review of the physician associate (PA) and anaesthesia associate (AA) professions in England.

In its submission the regulator emphasised the importance of statutory regulation for PA and AAs because - as with any regulated healthcare profession - PAs and AAs undertake complex work that will pose some level of risk to the public, and regulation mitigates this risk.

The submission also highlighted that, as the multi-professional regulator for doctors, PAs and AAs, the GMC is well placed to work with others across the health system to identify and address issues that concern all three professions. For example, the availability of supervisors and student training placements.

The GMC also said that regulation is already beginning to raise standards of practice through ensuring that only those individuals with the right clinical knowledge and skills are entered onto the GMC’s registers.