Leng review: independent review of physician associate and anaesthesia associate professions terms of reference
Published 20 November 2024
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-physician-and-anaesthesia-associates-terms-of-reference/leng-review-independent-review-of-physician-associate-and-anaesthesia-associate-professions-terms-of-reference
Summary
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is establishing an independent review of the physician associate and anaesthesia associate professions, to agree recommendations for the future. It will consider the safety of the roles and their contribution to multidisciplinary healthcare teams. The conclusions of the review will inform the workforce plan to deliver the 10 Year Health Plan.
The Secretary of State has appointed Professor Gillian Leng CBE to lead the review.
Purpose
The review will draw upon a range of national and international evidence to produce a comprehensive picture of the physician associate and anaesthesia associate roles.
This will include:
- published research
- real world data
- patient and professional views
There will be active engagement with relevant professionals, patients, the public, employers and researchers.
Areas of enquiry will include:
- the relative safety of the roles
- the contribution to effective and productive multidisciplinary teams
- the delivery of good quality and efficient patient care across a range of settings
It will be an end-to-end review, covering:
- selection and recruitment
- training
- day to day work
- scope of practice
- oversight
- supervision
- professional regulation
The review will consider the approach that was adopted in England to support safe introduction, employment and deployment of these new roles. This will help ensure that any future role innovation and skill mix changes will build patient and professional confidence and trust.
Timing
The review will report in spring 2025.