Expanding medical student numbers

For over a decade, there have been growing concerns about NHS workforce shortages and the impact it will have on the health service’s ability to meet the UK’s changing health needs. We’ve never produced enough doctors to be fully self-sufficient and with the additional pressures from backlogs and clinician burnout, expanding the workforce is now more important than ever.

However, training doctors takes time. It takes 10–12 years to train a GP and even longer to produce consultants. Our position paper examines the full case for expansion, estimates future workforce needs and presents a detailed proposal for how expansion could be achieved.

The MSC proposal offers a practical pathway to grow the medical workforce sustainably and invites collaboration between organisations that are vital to the recovery of the NHS and the long-term health of the nation.

Key recommendations

  • Increase medical student places by 5,000 to reach 14,500 graduates per year.
  • Maintain international recruitment recognising that overseas-trained doctors play a crucial role in the NHS.
  • Address placement capacity through innovative ways to expand clinical training, including virtual learning and new educator roles.
  • Modernise medical education delivery by utilising flexible routes like online and part-time courses to support expansion.
  • Support clinical academic careers — to train more doctors, we need more skilled clinical educators.
  • Expand collaboratively, not competitively and establish new medical schools where clinical placements are available and local population needs are greatest.
The expansion of medical school places in the UK - Medical Schools Council position (PDF)
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Further reading
Education 20.10.2021
Medical schools call for increase in doctors to support NHS recovery and sustainability