Reforming healthcare professional regulation 

A round-up of recent reforms to professional healthcare regulation and how they relate to the PSA's role and its oversight of the 10 professional regulators.

An image showing dots in lilac and purple used in PSA section on improving regulation

Guidance to help regulators use new powers

We have published good practice guidance to help regulators use their new powers to protect the public when reformed. The two guides cover 'accepted outcomes' - a less adversarial and quicker process for dealing with complaints/concerns about healthcare professionals; and rulemaking as regulators will have new powers to make and amend the rules governing the way they regulate. 

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Reforms to healthcare professional regulator powers

From 13 December 2024, the General Medical Council (GMC) began to regulate Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs). This change has been introduced through legislation called the Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates Order (AA and PA Order). The decision to regulate AAs and PAs was made by the Government.

The  AA and PA Order is the first step in a programme of reform to the other healthcare regulators and will act as the blueprint for these reforms. The current Government has announced a renewed commitment to proceed with reform for the rest of the GMC, the NMC and the HCPC.  We know that, from our work overseeing the regulators, there is an urgent need for reform and we welcomed this commitment.

The regulatory model set out in the AA and PA Order presents distinct advantages. It grants regulators more flexibility to determine how they use their powers, and provides for a new fitness to practise model that allows more cases to be decided consensually with the registrant, outside a formal hearing.

However, we want to make sure that the right balance is struck between autonomy and accountability for the regulators, We would also like to see greater engagement with a wider range of stakeholders in the next rounds of reform, including patient representatives, to ensure that public protection is at the heart of regulatory reform.

Read our statement responding to Government commitment to reform healthcare regulators