Faculty of Physician Associates to close by 2025

RCP

By Sarah Lowden

The Royal College of Physicians has confirmed that the Faculty of Physician Associates will close at the end of the year, once the General Medical Council becomes the regulatory body for medical associate professionals.

The college announced in April that the FPA would no longer be hosted by a royal medical college in 12 months.

The FPA has held a voluntary register of physician associates since 2011 and the faculty has been hosted by the Royal College of Physicians since 2015.

The PA managed voluntary register (PAMVR) will close to new entrants once the GMC becomes the regulator, and the RCP said it would begin to transfer PAMVR data to the GMC from next month.

From 1 January 2025, PAs will be offered affiliate membership of the RCP in line with other non-doctor professions, the RCP said.

The announcement comes after the RCP commissioned an independent review of its handling of the debate about physician associates.