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The Medical Schools Council (MSC) congratulates the government on producing the first ever Long-Term Workforce Plan in the history of the NHS. At the centre of the health service is its staff, and MSC welcomes and is supportive of the government’s ambition to invest in medical education. This decision signifies an important step to ensure a sustainable medical workforce.

Medical schools have been advocating for an increase in the number of medical student places and we are pleased that the government has also recognised the necessity of this urgent expansion. To achieve this goal, detailed planning will be necessary, alongside collaboration from across the education and training landscapes.

For MSC, key priorities to support a successful expansion include:

1. Supporting universities to deliver an increase in medical student places, including the development of new medical schools

Since 2017, several new medical schools have opened in the UK. MSC has supported new schools as they have established themselves and has been able to facilitate the sharing of best practice across institutions. It will be important to sustain this momentum and ensure universities understand the complexities of developing a medical school. 

2. Increasing access to a career in medicine

Medicine is a highly oversubscribed subject but we must ensure that we are accessing the largest talent pool possible, recruiting students from all backgrounds who have the potential to contribute to excellent patient care. Medical schools are heavily involved in widening access activities, including offering an increasing number of gateway and graduate programmes. Medical schools are supportive of innovative approaches to medical education such as Medical Doctor Degree Apprenticeships and look forward to working with stakeholders to further explore 4-year degrees. These opportunities will provide new ways of opening medicine as a career, including for experienced health care professionals, bringing new people into the profession.

With the introduction of the Medical Licensing Assessment in 2025, the public should be reassured that all medical students, whether on the apprenticeship route or standard pathway, will be required to meet the same high standards and outcomes in order to join the medical register. All UK medical schools are currently collaborating to develop a common test of applied clinical knowledge which will be regulated by the General Medical Council. This common final examination will be a requirement for students graduating from both the standard and the apprentice route.

3. Supporting retention of current staff and students including clinical academics

Clinical academics are doctors who undertake teaching and research alongside their clinical duties. We need clinical academics to train the future medical workforce, but their numbers are decreasing yearly. It is important that we nurture a system that can retain current staff and work to ensure that students can achieve long-term productive careers in the NHS. Incentivising clinical academic careers will not only support the training of future doctors, but also impact the UK’s research capacity.

Evidence has shown that research intensive locations often lead to improved health outcomes for the local population and can result in a reduction of health inequalities. Medical schools play an important part in ensuring research takes place across the UK, including in areas of patient need and it is hoped that further expansion, especially in under-doctored areas, will embed patient access to innovative research led interventions including clinical trials.

4. Delivering an optimal, world leading education

The UK is known for its internationally renowned medical education. We need to continue innovating so that reforms deliver an optimal education that will give medical students the strong foundations on which to thrive in an uncertain future. Training tomorrow’s doctors will also mean training tomorrow’s innovators whom we can encourage by exposing students to a variety of opportunities in leadership and academia.

On the publication of the workforce plan, Professor Patrick Maxwell, Chair of the Medical Schools Council and Head of the School of Clinical Medicine at the University of Cambridge, said:

 “It is fantastic news that the long-awaited NHS Workforce Plan has been published and includes a commitment to investing in medical education. Expansion signifies a promising stride forward in our collective efforts to bolster the healthcare workforce and meet the growing demands of our nation's health. It will also provide greater opportunity for aspiring applicants to embark on a rewarding career in medicine. With projections that there will be up to a million students applying to higher education by the end of the decade, it seems appropriate that we use this as an opportunity to encourage young people into the NHS.

“Increasing the number of medical places will not be without its obstacles. It will be imperative that meticulous and strategic approaches are taken, and innovation encouraged. Placement and teaching capacity will be important issues as well as ensuring that there is substantial support for doctors beyond undergraduate training. These issues should be solvable, and we look forward to working productively together to address these challenges as they become better understood.”

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1. The Medical Schools Council is the representative body for UK medical schools. The council is composed of the heads of UK medical schools and meets in order to shape the future of medical education in the UK. For more information on the Medical Schools Council, visit www.medschools.ac.uk.
2. MSC's position statement published in 2021 recommended an increase to UK medical school places. Read the statement on our website.
3. For more information on this press release, please contact Fahmida Yasmin, Senior Communications Officer, on 02074195430 or email fahmida.yasmin@medschools.ac.uk