Medical Council to regulate the Physician Associate profession

Media Release

The Minister of Health, Hon Simeon Brown, has announced that Physician Associates (PAs) will become a regulated health profession under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCA Act). Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | Medical Council of New Zealand (Medical Council) will be the responsible authority (regulator) for the profession.

PAs are a distinct health profession who work in collaboration with doctors as part of the wider healthcare team. They support the delivery of medical care under the supervision of doctors. Around 50 PAs are currently understood to be working in New Zealand. Originally developed in the United States, the PA profession is now established and regulated in several countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is contributing funding towards the establishment phase of PA regulation, over an initial two-year period. The Medical Council will meet with Health NZ shortly to formalise and discuss the transition of funding arrangements.  Council is committed to maintaining clear and transparent financial reporting, ensuring confidence from the medical profession, the PA profession, and the public. Following the completion of the Health NZ funding, and to the extent not covered by the Health NZ funding, the costs of regulating PAs will be recovered from the PA profession itself. There will be no cross-subsidisation between professions, and no cost burden on registered doctors.

Dr Rachelle Love, Chair | Tumuaki of the Medical Council, said:  "Council’s focus will be on setting clear and appropriate standards for PAs working in Aotearoa New Zealand, to ensure public safety. Regulation will provide clarity for patients, PAs, and doctors about the role and expectations of PAs within our healthcare system."

The Medical Council will now develop a regulatory framework for the profession. This includes defining scopes of practice, setting competence and ethical standards, and establishing registration requirements, including qualifications needed for registration.

Regulation is being introduced to help ensure public safety and support consistent standards across the profession.

The Medical Council will consult with the public, the medical and physician associate professions, and other stakeholders (including other health professions) as it develops the regulatory settings.   Information, including updates on consultation, will be available on the Council’s website [here].

Find out more: download our frequently asked questions [here] [PDF, 212 KB].

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