Nigel Huddleston MP celebrates a significant investment in healthcare education and the future of the NHS, following the Health & Social Care Secretary’s announcement of three new medical schools as part of a massive expansion of NHS training.
The new centres of excellence are set to help provide a further 205 undergraduate places from September 2024 to nurture the next generation of NHS doctors, helping to grow the NHS workforce over the next decade and beyond.
The new schools will be at the University of Worcester, the University of Chester, and Brunel University.
As part of this, the University of Worcester’s Three Counties Medical School is set to receive government funding for 50 student places.
Today’s announcement is a pivotal step in the delivery of the government’s long-term plan to double the number of medical school places to 15,000 by 2031. The goal is to strengthen the UK’s health services for the future and to ensure that patients get quicker access to the treatment they need.
The announcement comes alongside a pilot scheme that will introduce 200 medical degree apprenticeships to boost doctor training scheduled for next year.
These measures build on the foundation laid by the NHS’s Long-Term Workforce Plan unveiled earlier this year and supported by £2.4 billion in new funding. The document, which was published on the NHS’s 75th anniversary year, was the first time that any government has ever set out a vision for growing the workforce over a decade and beyond.
Announcing the news, Health & Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:
“I’m delighted to announce today that we are making more than 200 medical school extra places available at universities for next September.
“Most of these places will be going to three new NHS medical schools, meaning hundreds of additional doctors working on the wards in the years to come.
“This will help ensure the NHS is set for the future and that patients get the care they need when they need it.”
Celebrating the announcement, Nigel Huddleston MP said:
"I’m thrilled to learn that the government is significantly expanding NHS training, especially considering the new medical school situated right next door at the University of Worcester.
“The introduction of these new medical schools is a significant step towards improving accessibility to healthcare, reducing wait times, and delivering efficient medical services.”
