Resident Doctors Association advocates for patient safety and transparency as physician associates join workforce

Aotearoa New Zealand’s healthcare landscape is seeing a shift in its regulated workforce, prompting calls for increased transparency to ensure patient safety and informed consent for whānau. The New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association (NZRDA) is urging the public to understand the distinctions between medical practitioners and the newly regulated physician associate workforce. Following the formal regulation of physician associates as a healthcare workforce by the Medical Council, the NZRDA has highlighted that while these professionals are now part of the established health system, they do not hold medical degrees or the same training as doctors. Dr Deborah Powell, the National Secretary of the NZRDA, stated that clear identification will be a critical component as this workforce becomes further integrated into Aotearoa’s clinical environments. According to reporting by Waatea News on Saturday, October 3, 2026, the NZRDA’s focus remains on ensuring that patients and their families are fully aware of who is providing their care. The association pointed to international examples where confusion regarding the physician associate role led to instances of patient harm, particularly when families were under the impression they were being treated by a doctor. To maintain the highest standards of hauora and patient safety, the NZRDA is encouraging patients to be proactive in their healthcare journey. The association advises that patients have the right to ask directly whether the person treating them is a doctor and maintain the right to request a doctor’s care if they choose. As physician associates become a permanent fixture in the regulated health workforce, the NZRDA maintains that transparency and whānau-centered communication must remain the priority.