GMC approves 33 physician associate courses

One physician associate course has failed to meet GMC standards, while the remaining 33 course providers have been granted approval.

Today, the regulator published the outcome of its quality assurance checks on the 34 PA course providers currently running across the UK.

For four of the courses granted approval, the GMC has also attached ‘conditions’, meaning that ‘concerns were identified during the approval process’.

This means that Bradford, Greater Manchester, Queen Mary University of London and Sheffield Hallam will now all be subject to a ‘targeted action plan’ to address those concerns.

However, the regulator said it has refused to grant approval to the PA course at the University of East London as it ‘does not yet meet the required standards due to concerns about the quality of teaching and course delivery’.

The course provider cannot award qualifications to current students or recruit new students until the GMC is assured its standards are being met.

‘The GMC will work closely with course leaders, educators and students at East London to monitor progress and ensure necessary improvements are made,’ the regulator said.

Earlier this month, the GMC told the Government-commissioned investigation into the safety of PAs that some courses may not be approved.

Since then, the outcome of the regulator’s quality assurance checks has been ratified by the its council.

Engagement with course providers began before PAs officially came under GMC regulation in December. The assessment process included two annual returns on how they meet standards, at least one in-person visit, and review of the course syllabus against the PA national curriculum.

This is the first time PA course providers have been subject to formal quality assurance by the regulator.

According to the GMC, the approved PA courses have a combined capacity for up to 1,059 PAs to qualify each year.

This is below the baseline of 1,297 which was set out in NHS England’s long-term workforce plan in 2023.

It aimed to achieve a training intake of 1,370 in 2025 – but the current Government has committed to reviewing the plan, and the PA safety review is expected to feed into this.

Professor Colin Melville, GMC medical director and director of education and standards, said they have a ‘robust quality assurance process for PA’ and anaesthesia associate (AA) courses and they ‘have been engaging with course providers for several years already’.

‘This is an important milestone in the regulation of PAs and AAs and will provide assurance, now and in the future, that those who qualify in these roles have the appropriate skills and knowledge that patients rightly expect and deserve,’ he added.