Medical schools call for increase in student places

Following this week's changes to A-level results, ministers are being urged to lift the limit on the number of places to study medicine in England.

The number of students studying to be doctors is regulated because of the cost and for NHS workforce planning. However, universities fear that without the cap on places relaxed and financial support, they can not accommodate all the students with the grades to get in.

The decision to give A-level and GCSE students grades estimated by their teachers, rather than by an algorithm, means thousands of A-level students may now have the grades to trade up to their first-choice university offers.

In a letter to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, seen by the BBC, Universities UK sought ‘urgent assurances’ that he was speaking to the Department for Health about increasing the medical student cap. The letter also highlighted the need for ‘significant financial support’ from the government as students are expected to change courses after being awarded higher grades.

There is also a fear of a backlog in places, after current students have been unable to carry out their clinical studies because of the pandemic.