Joint statement on the statutory regulation of Anaesthesia Associates

We welcome news of the General Medical Council being named as the regulator for Anaesthesia Associates. We look forward to working with the government, the GMC and wider stakeholders to ensure a statutory register is implemented as soon as possible.

We have called for the statutory regulation of Anaesthesia Associates for many years. The purpose of statutory regulation is ultimately to maintain patient safety and public confidence. We believe this announcement is a very important step towards ensuring Anaesthesia Associates continue to provide high quality, safe care as part of a multi-professional team, led by a consultant anaesthetist.

The College, Association of Anaesthetists and the Association of Anaesthesia Associates will work together to ensure Anaesthesia Associates become further integrated within the perioperative care team. Where Anaesthesia Associates are employed, they are highly valued and contribute greatly to patient care. Many hospitals could realise benefits for their services by employing Anaesthesia Associates to meet their particular patient and service needs. Anaesthesia Associates do not replace their medical colleagues but, can complement service provision which may traditionally only have been provided by anaesthetists. This will aid in reducing fatigue and burnout by supporting the traditional medical team, with skilled Anaesthesia Associates sharing the workload to ensure patients receive safe, timely care, integrated with the medical team. Anaesthesia Associates can help enhance the training capacity of their departments and we will work to support this aspect of their role.

We will work to ensure that this role enhancement is undertaken in a structured manner, ensuring patient safety and the highest standards.