WIREDGOV

The Department of Health and Social Care has announced the second phase of a medical training expansion programme which is funding a total of 1,500 new medical student places. This is the largest ever expansion of medical training, adding a quarter more places to the previous total.

Of the new places, 500 were allocated to medical schools in 2017, and the distribution of the remaining 1,000 has now been decided through a competition run by HEFCE and Health Education England.

As a result of the expansion, every existing medical school is taking on additional students – and five entirely new medical schools are also being set up, in Sunderland, Lancashire, Canterbury, Lincoln and Chelmsford.

Medical courses are currently heavily oversubscribed and this will open up new opportunities for many aspiring doctors to train for careers in medicine at a larger number of medical schools across England than ever before.       

Professor Madeleine Atkins, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said:

‘This significant expansion opens the door for many more students, including students from underrepresented groups, to gain high-quality medical education and training.

‘Following a rigorous competitive process, an ambitious portfolio of places has been allocated across both new and established medical schools which will offer innovative training and provision.

‘Universities and colleges across the country play a vital role in supporting their local and regional communities. This initiative will provide highly skilled professionals, many of whom will go on to serve communities in areas of greatest need.’

Notes

1. See details of the new medical places allocations.
2. In October 2016, the Government announced its commitment to expanding undergraduate medical training by 1,500 places, with effect from September 2018 onward.
3. 500 of these additional places were allocated to existing medical schools in 2017, for entry in 2018-19.
4. In summer 2017, after a consultation on the allocation of the remaining 1,000 places, the Department of Health and Social Care asked HEFCE and HEE to seek bids through a competition. This opened in October 2017, and the final allocation was approved by the Boards of HEFCE and HEE in March 2018.