Doctor Training

Andrew Selous highlighted the distress of British students being turned down from medical school despite having the necessary grades. He mentioned that his constituency is facing a shortage of GPs and cited an instance where 30 planned primary care expansions were scrapped due to lack of funding. He emphasized the need for integrated healthcare hubs and criticised the inadequate allocation of section 106 funds towards health, stating only £187 million out of £7 billion was used for such purposes.

Anne Marie Morris highlighted the specific challenges in rural areas, including an ageing population with complex health needs and difficulty attracting qualified doctors due to misconceptions about rural life. She emphasized the need for tailored medical training and education to address these issues, referencing successful models from Scotland and Australia.

My hon. Friend makes a compelling point about not needing a massive expansion of medical schools to expand the number of medics we are training. The University of Central Lancashire in Burnley already trains medics but focuses more on an international programme, willing to switch that over to train far more UK students.

Mackrory thanked doctors for their work during the pandemic and highlighted Cornwall's slight increase in GPs, despite more part-time work. She praised initiatives that encourage trainees to stay in Cornwall but noted geographical challenges in sharing staff with other areas. She emphasized the importance of fair funding to support healthcare workers' respite periods, called for addressing housing issues affecting healthcare employment, and supported additional training places.

David Johnston discussed the growth in medical trainee numbers from 2,671 to 4,000 over recent years but raised concerns about the shift towards portfolio careers among GP trainees, with only one of a cohort intending to be a salaried GP. He also pointed out the lack of social mobility within medicine, noting that only 6% of doctors come from working-class backgrounds and stressed the importance of addressing this issue for better representation.

Clark criticised the government's decision to cut medical school places by 30%, highlighting that there are over 133,000 NHS vacancies, including 10,000 for doctors. She noted that the Royal College of Physicians census found a 52% vacancy rate for consultant physician posts in 2021, the highest on record. Clark also mentioned that the Three Counties Medical School at the University of Worcester had been told it would not receive funding for domestic students despite the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire integrated care board spending over £70 million annually on locum staff due to a lack of doctors.

I commend my hon. Friend on his excellent speech and agree with every single word. He alludes to the high salaries paid to locums, which prevent doctors from getting contracts for surgeries locally, a problem in Bracknell. I suggest we need to bring doctors back from retirement and other professions to improve inflow at every level across the whole of the service.

Jim Shannon thanked the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire and expressed concern about the lack of sufficient staffing in the NHS, particularly doctors. He noted that Northern Ireland faces issues with limited medical school places at Queen's University Belfast, which offers only 100 places annually. He highlighted a shortfall of junior doctors willing to stay after completing their studies, resulting in many leaving for other regions or countries. Shannon also raised concerns about the planned three-day strike by more than 173,000 members of the British Medical Association's junior doctor group due to staff pay issues and excessive rota hours.

Discussed the increasing demand for healthcare professionals, noting that while medical school places have increased from 6,000 to 7,500 annually in England since 2018, it may not be sufficient to meet future demands. Emphasised the importance of international recruitment but highlighted its limitations due to global shortages. Cited the Health and Social Care Committee's recommendation for increasing medical school places by 5,000 to 14,500 per year and lifting the cap on international student places.

Mark Fletcher highlighted the increasing number of doctors since 2010 and pointed out that working practices are changing, with more part-time working. He emphasised the need for reform in general practice due to its strain on the hospital system and the importance of utilising technology in healthcare delivery. Asked the hon. Lady a question during her speech.

The MP expressed gratitude towards NHS staff and highlighted the challenges in recruiting qualified staff due to Brexit. He cited a Nuffield Trust report suggesting that NHS England could be short of 12,000 permanent hospital doctors and over 50,000 nurses and midwives. The Scottish Government's workforce strategy aims to grow the NHS workforce by 1% over five years.

Ms Maclean congratulated her colleagues on the need for more training places for doctors, emphasizing its role in social mobility and rural development. She highlighted local efforts to train doctors through the Three Counties Medical School, funded by the University of Worcester with 20 places but lacking government funding. She urged the Minister to support full funding for the medical school to provide opportunities for young people in Redditch and Worcestershire.

Called for support from the Minister regarding the Three Counties Medical School serving Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire, building on established partnerships. Suggested that all 14 MPs representing these counties should work together with the Minister to advocate for this project.

Agrees that training more doctors is essential but calls for a feasibility study to explore how to achieve the target of increasing training places, suggesting existing resources could be optimised. Emphasises the need for international cooperation and knowledge sharing.