[4] Despite the similarity of the name, the role was always distinct from physician assistant, which refers to a non-doctor practitioner who works in areas of medicine other than anaesthesia.
In July 2019, the UK government announced its intention to request that the General Medical Council (GMC) would in future regulate anaesthesia associates as a distinct profession.
This will provide greater assurance that AAs are safe and fit to practise on qualification as defined by the GMC Anaesthesia Associate Registration Assessment.
To date this model of care has been proven to be safe, with no significant safety or quality concerns presented with evidence, in the USA or UK.
An intention to significantly increase the number of AAs over 10 years has led to ideological concerns and perception of a threat, to how anaesthesia has traditionally been delivered in the UK.