The government is to overhaul the legislative framework governing regulated health and care professionals in the UK. This presents a rare and important opportunity to implement comprehensive reforms that will enhance the system of professional regulation, support the health and care workforce and, above all else, safeguard patient and public safety.
The regulatory framework for health professionals in the UK is rigid and complex and needs to change. In 2021 this prompted calls for reform to enhance patient protection, support health services and equip the workforce to tackle future challenges effectively. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) launched a consultation, and the response to that, Regulating Healthcare Professionals, Protecting the Public, was published in 2023 (DHSC, 2023).
The role of regulatory bodies is to protect healthcare users from health risks and ensure that programmes of study that prepare health professionals for practice are fit for purpose. The case for reforming professional regulation has long been acknowledged. The DHSC (2023) cites the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of the inflexibility of certain regulatory bodies' primary and secondary legislation. For example, during the emergency, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) lacked the authority to temporarily register individuals or groups to aid in responding to the crisis.
The General Medical Council (GMC) aims to formulate reforms that create a flexible and modern GMC regulatory framework. These changes have received a great deal of media attention recently. Regulatory reform in this instance means the GMC will become a multiprofessional regulator for the first time since 1956 and can progress with its ambitions to become a more effective, relevant and compassionate regulator (GMC, 2024).
Since its establishment in 1858, the GMC's fundamental mission remains unchanged: to uphold public confidence in the profession it oversees and to promote high-quality, safe patient care. However, legislation governing how the GMC operates is over 40 years old, has become convoluted, excessively detailed and is in need of modernisation to enable the GMC to respond swiftly and flexibly to risks associated with patient safety.
The GMC has been granted the authority to regulate physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs). By regulating these professions, the aim is to provide assurance to the public that PAs and AAs possess the necessary expertise, skills and experience to deliver safe care. These represent the initial reforms currently under GMC consideration.
There are differing opinions on this. The Royal College of General Practitioners has voiced deep concern that if the GMC takes on the role of regulator for PAs, this will create further confusion for patients over the differences between doctors and PAs (Iacobucci, 2024).
When the GMC begins regulating PAs and AAs at the end of 2024, its responsibilities will expand to encompass the same statutory duties for these professions. It will establish standards for patient care and professional conduct that PAs and AAs must adhere to, ensuring they receive the necessary education and training to deliver high-quality, safe patient care. The GMC will assess eligibility for PAs and AAs to practise in the UK and ensure ongoing adherence to the professional standards it sets throughout their careers. Guidance and advice will be provided to PAs and AAs to clarify expectations. In cases of patient safety concerns or public confidence issues regarding PAs and AAs, the GMC will investigate and take appropriate action.