Modern Slavery Statement

The Medical Schools Council has chosen to publish this Modern Slavery Statement on its website, although it is not currently required to do so under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. This statement demonstrates our commitment to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking in our operations and supply chains.

Organisation structure and supply chain

The Medical Schools Council represents the interests of UK medical schools and works collaboratively with its members to improve medical education, research and training across the United Kingdom.

Our work focuses on supporting medical schools in delivering high-quality education and training for future doctors, promoting excellence in medical research, advocating for clinical academic careers and ensuring that the medical education system continues to meet the needs of patients and society.

The Medical Schools Council operates as a membership organisation that brings together the leadership of UK medical schools to share expertise, develop policy positions and coordinate sector-wide initiatives. Our activities include policy development, programme delivery, events and meetings, research and stakeholder engagement.

The Medical Schools Council directly employs a small team of staff to deliver its work. To support our activities, we engage a range of suppliers and contractors. These may include:

  • Professional services such as legal, consultancy and audit support
  • Event and meeting services, including venue hire and catering
  • IT, digital and website support services
  • Office services and facilities management
  • Recruitment and temporary staffing agencies

While the Medical Schools Council operates primarily in the United Kingdom and has relatively simple supply chains, we recognise that risks of modern slavery and human trafficking can exist in any organisation’s operations or supply chains.

Policies in relation to slavery and human trafficking

The Medical Schools Council is committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing systems and controls to help ensure modern slavery and human trafficking are not taking place within our organisation or supply chains.

Our approach includes:

  • conducting appropriate employment checks for all directly employed staff to confirm their right to work and employment status
  • working with reputable recruitment agencies and service providers that are expected to carry out appropriate employment and right-to-work checks
  • ensuring staff are paid at least the applicable National Living Wage or National Minimum Wage
  • undertaking appropriate due diligence when appointing contractors and suppliers, including reviewing their policies and practices where relevant
  • seeking to work with suppliers who demonstrate responsible business practices and, where appropriate, publish their own Modern Slavery Statements

We expect our suppliers and partners to share our commitment to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking and to operate in accordance with applicable laws and ethical standards.

Ongoing commitment

Although the Medical Schools Council is not required to publish a Modern Slavery Statement under current legislation, we recognise the importance of transparency and responsible procurement. We will continue to review our policies and practices to ensure that we maintain appropriate safeguards against modern slavery within our organisation and supply chains.