In response to the Government Command Paper "Enabling Excellence - Autonomy and Accountability for Health Workers, Social Workers and Social Care Workers - The Health and Social Care Bill", the Health Professions Council has sadly reconsidered its position regarding  the recommendation of any new occupations for statutory regulation, even those currently on the agenda, such as our own.
Following the Council meeting of March 31st 2011 they will not be recommending any occupations for regulation, including our own, until the position becomes clear. Their Director of Policy and Standards Michael Guthrie was at pains to point out this decision was in no way a reflection on their opinion of the potential for regulation of the occupation or the quality of the application, and expressed his sympathy that their policy has changed at such a late stage of the process for us.

The Command Paper suggests that only in exceptional circumstances would any occupation be regulated statutorily in future, with occupations required to self-regulate. If the Bill becomes law in its present form then it is unlikely that Physicians' Assistants (Anaesthesia) would be regulated by the HPC by statute and therefore an approved Voluntary Register would become the sole means of regulating the occupation. We would therefore encourage any PA(A) who has not yet registered to do so.The Command Paper further suggests that existing regulators might hold Approved Voluntary Registers on behalf of professional groups and therefore the APA(A) is remaining in communication with the HPC.

Download the MVR form here.