GMC approves 36 associate training courses, strengthening healthcare workforce standards

The General Medical Council (GMC) has published details of the 36 courses given formal approval to teach physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs).

It is the first time course providers have been subject to formal quality assurance by the regulator. The GMC took on the regulation of PAs and AAs in December last year, and overseeing and approving training courses is a key component.

The move means that patients, employers and colleagues can be assured that PAs and AAs have the required knowledge and skills to practise safely once they qualify.

In total, the GMC has approved 33 PA courses.

Four of those – Bradford, Greater Manchester, Queen Mary University of London and Sheffield Hallam – have been approved with conditions.

Conditions mean that while the courses have met the GMC’s standards and students will be eligible to apply for registration, some concerns were identified during the approval process. Each of these courses now has a targeted action plan in place to ensure those concerns are addressed.

The regulator has not granted approval to one 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.

As a result, the course provider will defer awarding qualifications to current students, and pause recruitment of new students, until the GMC is assured its standards are being met.