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Physician Associate and Anaesthesia Associates courses approved by the General Medical Council

University of Birmingham given formal approval to teach physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) by regulator.

30 May 2025
A student in medical uniform sitting at a desk with a colleague, pointing at some notes on a piece of paper.

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

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

There has been an immense amount of work put in by the PA and AA teams over the last 2 years to ensure that our programmes meet the exacting standards required by the GMC which will allow our graduates to join the AA and PA registers. It is also an achievement to become the only UK University delivering all 3 GMC regulated programmes.

Professor Gillian Condé, Head of Birmingham Medical School, University of Birmingham

University of Birmingham is one of only three providers to offer the AA course in the UK and all were approved by the GMC.

Ahead of regulation coming into effect, the GMC’s quality assurance team has been engaging with all existing course providers to assess whether they meet its standards.

Professor Colin Melville, the GMC’s Medical Director and Director of Education and Standards, said:

‘This is an important milestone in the regulation of PAs and AAs and will provide assurance, now and in the future, that those who qualify in these roles have the appropriate skills and knowledge that patients rightly expect and deserve.

‘As a regulator, patient safety is paramount, and we have a robust quality assurance process for PA and AA courses, as we do for medical schools. We have been engaging with course providers for several years already, and we only grant approval where they meet our high standards.’

Find out more about Physician Associate Studies at Birmingham Medical School.

Featured staff

  • Professor Gillian Condé

    Head of Birmingham Medical School

    School of Medical Sciences

    Staff profile for Dr Gillian L. Condé, Head of Birmingham Medical School, School of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine and Health, The University of Birmingham.

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