Regulating physician associates

Physician associates are trained health professionals who work under the supervision of a medical doctor to provide healthcare to patients.

The Medical Council will be the responsible authority for regulating physician associates in Aotearoa New Zealand.  As part of this, the Council is required to develop regulatory settings (including registration requirements and practice standards) to ensure physician associates are competent and fit to practise.

We will add more information and consult as we develop the proposed regulatory framework for physician associate practice.

June update

In April 2025, the Minister of Health announced that physician associates (PAs) would be regulated in Aotearoa New Zealand, and that Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | Medical Council of New Zealand (the Council) would be the regulator of PAs. The Council will be accepting applications for registration of PAs in October 2026.

Earlier this year, the Council consulted on a proposed framework for the regulation of PAs. The framework included scopes of practice, prescribed qualifications and supervision requirements for PAs seeking to register and work in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Decisions on the regulation of physician associates (PAs)

Title

The responsibility for providing for a professional title for PAs sits with the Minister of Health.

The Minister has confirmed the title as physician associate(s).

Council’s decisions

Council considered the consultation feedback to its consultation on the proposed framework for the regulation of PAs. The approved scopes of practice, pathways to registration and the supervision framework for PAs can be found [here].

Consultation: Professional standards for physician associates (PAs)

We are seeking your feedback on the draft Professional standards for PAs. These draft standards propose the principles and values of good PA practice and the professional standards expected of PAs working in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Your feedback is important to us, and we would like to hear from you. We will consider your feedback before the Professional standards for PAs are finalised.

Please see the draft professional standards [ here ].
Please provide your feedback by completing the survey [ here ]  

Background

PAs are trained and qualified health professionals who always work under the supervision of a medical doctor to provide healthcare to patients. PAs work closely with doctors and other members of the health care team. PAs are a distinct profession who will be registered in the PA provisional general scope of practice or the PA general scope of practice. See here for more information on scopes of practice [ here ]

The PA profession is well established internationally. It began in the US in the mid-1960s, in response to a growing need for healthcare providers. Regulation of the profession began in the US in the 1970s. The profession is also regulated in Canada and in the UK (since December 2024).

Development of the draft Professional standards for PAs

To support the development of the draft standards, we reviewed PA standards from overseas jurisdictions. We also used our standards for doctors to further inform the draft Professional standards for PAs. In addition, we engaged with the New Zealand Physician Associate Society, Whakawaha (Council’s consumer advisory group), and Te Kāhui Whakamana Tiriti (Council’s Māori advisory group).

About the draft Professional Standards for PAs

Once finalised, the standards will apply to all areas of PA practice. They aim to put patient interests first and support public health and safety by setting out the minimum requirements for safe practice, and outlining the expectations for communication, consent, collaboration, and professional behaviour of PAs.

As the standards cannot explicitly cover every situation that may be encountered in practice, guidance is included to support the understanding and application of some standards. Other legislation and regulations may be relevant to care and treatment decisions, and additional standards or guidance may be published in future for specific areas of practice.

The final standards may be used by the Medical Council, Health and Disability Commissioner, Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, or employers to evaluate a PA’s conduct in their professional capacity.

The draft professional standards and guidance are [ here ] 

The survey link is our preferred method for receiving submissions. Alternatively, you can email your response to PAconsultation@mcnz.org.nz. You can download the questions [ here ].

The consultation closes COB on Thursday 16 July 2026.

What we do with your responses (privacy information) view [ here ]. 

March update (2026)

Consultation on proposed Council fees and disciplinary levy

Consultation closed.

Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | Medical Council of New Zealand (Council) is currently inviting feedback on proposed practising certificate (PC) fees, disciplinary levies, and other fees for doctors to take effect from 1 July 2026. 

In this consulationn the Council also proposes the first fee schedule for Physician Associates (PAs). The proposed fees reflect the early phase of regulation for a developing profession, with careful management of costs to support financial sustainability as the profession grows. 

 

February update (2026)

Consultation on establishing a regulatory framework for physician associates in Aotearoa New Zealand

Consultation on establishing a regulatory framework for physician associates (PAs) in Aotearoa New Zealand has now closed. There was strong interest from stakeholders, and we thank all submitters for taking the time to provide feedback on the proposals.

Council will now consider the submissions received and make decisions on the proposals it consulted on . We will publish further summary information about the submissions and Council’s decisions once those decisions are finalised. 

December update (2025)

Media release
2 December 2025

Council is inviting feedback on proposals for how PAs should be regulated in Aotearoa New Zealand.

October update (2025)

Work continuing on our approach to regulating physician associates

We have been continuing to engage with stakeholders, including consumers, physician associates, health sector leaders and medical doctors. Their input is helping us to develop draft scopes of practice, prescribed qualifications, registration pathways and supervision requirements for physician associates.

We plan to start public consultation in November 2025 to seek feedback on our regulation proposals. Check back here to see when consultation is open and how to have your say.

Alternatively, you can subscribe [ here ] to receive an email update when the consultation is open and to receive updates about the regulation of physician associates in Aotearoa New Zealand.

August upddate (2025)

Shaping the conversation together

Work is underway to explore what regulation for physician associates could look like, with a focus on understanding the impact on patients and the health system, and how to ensure cultural safety. This work is still in the early stages, and the final shape of any regulation will be considered during the formal public consultation phase, coming up later this year.

In June, we sought patient perspectives through our consumer advisory group, Whakawaha, and also from Te Kāhui Whakamana Tiriti – Council’s Māori Advisory group. This is part of our commitment to understanding how the role might work in Aotearoa New Zealand and identifying any risks or safeguards needed before regulation is finalised.

Feedback covered:

  • The need for clear information for patients on what physician associates do and how they differ from other health professionals.
  • The importance of ensuring physician associates provide culturally safe care and receive robust induction to practise in Aotearoa New Zealand.
  • Ensuring the role supports equitable healthcare access and does not create confusion in the system.

We will continue to gather perspectives from our advisory groups, the public, stakeholders, physician associates, and registered doctors. This feedback will help us develop a framework to protect patients and support safe, effective care.

June update (2025)

MC News | In this edition we continue the conversation about the future of health workforce regulation and how we can shape a more responsive, patient-centred system. This includes an update on the regulation of physician associates — a step that supports team-based care by introducing consistent standards and a clear regulatory framework to ensure patient safety.

Read more

Frequently asked questions

We’ve put together answers to common questions, including:

– What is a physician associate?
– Why and when are physician associates being regulated?
– How will regulation be paid for?
– What’s been learned from overseas?
– How will supervision work, and how could it help with workforce shortages?
– What’s being done to keep patients safe?
– How can you share your views?

Learn more about the Council’s approach to regulating physician associates in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Download our FAQ sheet [PDF, 212 KB] 

Media release

Regulation of physician associates

The Medical Council will be the responsible authority for regulating physician associates in Aotearoa New Zealand.  As part of this, the Council is required to develop regulatory settings (including registration requirements and practice standards) to ensure physician associates are competent and fit to practice.

View media release