Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (GP)

My Lords, I gave prior notice to the Minister that I want to ask a couple of questions about the Leng review into physician and anaesthetist associates which was published today, dealing with issues of high relevance to the concerns and the levels of dissatisfaction among resident doctors. Indeed, the review directly addresses some of the training issues for resident doctors which are set out in this Statement and which the Government say they are seeking to tackle, particularly rotational training and the lack of training places. I have two questions. First, when and by what mechanism will Parliament, and particularly your Lordships’ House, have the chance to discuss the Leng report, given the high level of engagement on the statutory instrument that created the GMC registration of PAs and AAs in February 2024 and the level of expertise in your Lordships’ House? Secondly, and this reflects many questions with which I am being bombarded by those concerned with these issues, some of the main recommendations of Professor Leng include the renaming of physician associates and anaesthetist associates as assistants. Professor Leng says they should not be seeing undifferentiated patients except within clearly defined national clinical protocols; they should get at least two years’ experience in secondary care when newly qualified before taking roles in primary care or mental health trusts; and there should be a named doctor as a line manager, which puts into question people operating as so-called locum physician associates. Presumably, at least the first of these, the naming question, would require a new statutory instrument. Others may or may not. Can the Minister give me and all the other interested people some idea of how the Government are planning to take this forward?