NHS England is pleased to see the laying of legislation for anaesthesia associates (AAs) and physician associates (PAs). We welcome this as a significant step towards bringing both roles into statutory regulation to further embed them into the NHS workforce.

AAs and PAs are integral members of multi-professional healthcare teams, who deliver valuable and high-quality care to the public, supporting thousands of patients with the appropriate supervision every day, while freeing up time for other clinicians.

The introduction of statutory regulation of these internationally recognised roles will ensure the highest standards are met as thousands more are trained to do the role. This is alongside a near doubling of medical school and nursing training places over the next 15 years as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

We will continue to work with partners, including the General Medical Council and medical royal colleges, so the required expertise, infrastructure and leadership of AAs and PAs can be effectively trained and integrated into teams. We will achieve this through the continued development of national standards, defined scope of practice, and assessment of educational capacity.