Support the petition to extend PGDs to clinical and biomedical scientists

19th Oct 2026

CSVS members and colleagues across healthcare science are encouraged to support a UK Parliament petition calling for clinical and biomedical scientists to be included within the Patient Group Direction framework.

Patient Group Directions (PGDs) provide a legal framework that allows specified registered healthcare professionals to supply or administer medicines to defined groups of patients without an individual prescription. However, suitably trained and regulated clinical and biomedical scientists are not currently included among the professions able to use them.

The petition asks the Government to extend the PGD framework to these professions, supported by appropriate training, competency standards and clinical governance. For clinical vascular science services, this could help appropriately qualified scientists deliver more streamlined care within their scope of practice, reducing avoidable onward referrals and repeat appointments where medicine supply or administration forms part of a patient pathway.

Wider access to PGDs has the potential to support timely, patient-centred care while maintaining the safeguards expected of regulated healthcare professionals. Any extension would need to be underpinned by robust governance, local authorisation and clear requirements for education and competence.

How you can help

Please read and sign the petition, then share it with colleagues and professional networks. Reaching 10,000 signatures will require the Government to respond.

View and sign petition 773603: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/773603