Written question WQ95008
- Asked by
- Andrew RT DaviesConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
Is the Cabinet Secretary satisfied with the role, oversight and prevalence of anaesthesia associates in the Welsh NHS?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
From next month, the General Medical Council will become the regulator for anaesthesia associates (AAs) in the UK. Regulation will assure patients, colleagues and employers that AAs are safe to practice and can be held to account if serious concerns are raised. The powers to regulate AAs are reserved by the UK Government.
In 2019 HEIW developed a small-scale AA pilot in partnership with Hywel Dda and Swansea Bay university health boards. The pilot was delayed due to the pandemic and resumed in 2022
A small number of AAs have also been part of the Hywel Dda University Health Board workforce for approximately 15 years.