Published: Monday 8 March 2004 Reference number: 2004/0094 UK Department of Health

UK Health Secretary opens new medical campus as new figures show Government hits target for doctors in training two years early.

The Government has achieved its target of increasing the number of doctors in training by more than 2000 places two years earlier than planned.

New figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) published today show that 6030 students entered medical school in England in autumn 2003. The Government had set a target of increasing medical school intake to 5894 places by autumn 2005.

Medical school intake in England has increased by 2281 places (sixty per cent) since 1997, which means that there are now more doctors in training than ever before.

Health Secretary John Reid said:

’There are now more doctors in training than ever before thanks to the huge investment the Government is putting into training the NHS workforce. But there is more to be done to recruit more students from wider backgrounds.

’I am delighted to be in Derby today opening this new medical campus, it is yet more evidence that we have the capacity to train for the future and are now training new doctors to do the job in a more patient-focused way. We will continue to work hard to ensure that even more doctors are recruited into the NHS, as this is an investment for all our futures.’

Mr Reid welcomed the news as he officially opened the new University of Nottingham medical campus at Derby. The University of Nottingham and its NHS partner, the Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, have built the new 12 million medical and clinical sciences building on a site at Derby City General Hospital.

Derby’s new medical campus is one of four new medical schools and four new centres of medical education that have opened in England since 2000.

The new HEFCE figures are included in a report published today by Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson looking at the current state of undergraduate medical education in England.

\"Medical Schools: Delivering the Doctors of the Future\" is a stock-take of how England’s universities have responded to the challenge set by the Government to significantly increase the amount of doctors in training.

The key findings of the report are:

Medical school intake has increased from 3749 in 1997 to 6030 in 2003.

There are more doctors in training than at any other time in the history of the NHS

Massive investment in the expansion of medical schools has secured a new generation of doctors for the NHS.

Innovations in curriculum and medical training are attracting more and more applicants to medicine.

Today’s report highlights examples of the good practice already going on to attract applications from a broader social base. These include new two-year foundation degrees targeted at people already working in the NHS and summer schools and road-shows for local schools aimed at introducing 13-16 year olds from all backgrounds to the idea of studying medicine.

Sir Liam Donaldson said:

\"This is one of the most exciting times in medical education for half a century. Our medical schools are rising to the challenge of developing an increased and more modern generation of doctors equipped for 21st century healthcare.

\"More medical school places coupled with innovative new methods of teaching are making a career in medicine more popular and increasingly more accessible. The Report highlights the kinds of initiatives that need to be adopted by more medical schools to ensure that they remain in the forefront of international best practice in medical education.\"

Notes to editor

1. The NHS Plan envisaged the largest increase in medical school places since the NHS was established. In order to achieve this the Higher Education Funding Council for England allocated 2145 new medical school places.

2. Since 2000 four new medical schools have been opened and four new centres of medical education have been developed, three in collaboration with existing medical schools. New Medical schools: University of East Anglia, Norwich (UEA); Peninsula Medical School (Universities of Exeter and Plymouth); Brighton and Sussex Medical School (Universities of Brighton and Sussex); Hull York Medical School (Universities of Hull and York). New Centre of Medical Education: University of Durham (collaboration with University of Newcastle); University of Keele (collaboration with University of Manchester); University of Warwick (collaboration with University of Leicester); University of Nottingham Medical School at Derby.

3. Copies of \"Medical Schools: Delivering the Doctors of the Future are available on-line at www.dh.gov.uk

4. Health Secretary John Reid is available for media interviews following his tour of Derby medical school.

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