Independent review into PA and AA roles, led by RSM President Professor Gillian Leng CBE, published
An independent review into the roles of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs), commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and led by Professor Gillian Leng CBE, was published on Wednesday 16 July.
Led independently by Professor Leng, and separate from her role as RSM President, The Leng Review: An independent review into the physician associate and anaesthesia associate professions set out to determine whether PA and AA roles are safe and effective within multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in the NHS. It evaluated whether their rollout in England has supported safe, consistent and effective deployment, and identified changes needed to improve confidence in the roles.
In recent years, the roles have become a source of considerable debate, with concerns raised by patients, clinicians, professional bodies and others around issues including patient safety, clarity of responsibilities, adequacy of training, and the impact on medical education and workforce planning.
In order to ensure a broad range of perspectives were considered, the review gathered extensive input from more than 1,000 individuals and organisations, including PA and AA professionals, patients and families with direct experience of care involving PAs, clinicians, wider NHS staff teams, educators, and international experts. The report aimed to provide an evidence-based assessment of these issues and set out practical recommendations.
To explore the review’s findings and implications in practice, the RSM is hosting a Spotlight webinar on Tuesday 30 July. Professor Leng will be interviewed by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, Past-President of the RSM, to discuss what the review’s proposals mean for RSM members and the whole healthcare profession. The webinar will cover the review’s key findings and explore what needs to happen next to take the recommendations forward. Find out more and register for Spotlight on: The Leng review.