A debate on the merits of training additional doctors was a good opportunity for local MP Kevin Foster to discuss how the number of training places available in the UK must be based on projections for future demands on the NHS, and query what prospects there were for expanding training locally.
Whilst the numbers of MPs taking part meant that Kevin could only speak for a maximum of 4 minutes, there was still chance to outline several key themes in this area.
At the core of the debate about training doctors lies the increasing demand for health care and how we meet it. As our population ages and new treatments emerge the demand for doctors is growing not just in the UK, but overseas as well. NHS staff numbers have increased, with doctor numbers up 14% and nurses up 11% over the past three years. However, the NHS vacancy rate also rose from 7.6% to 9.7% over the past year.
It is worth noting back in 2018, the Government increased the number of medical school places in England from 6,000 to 7,500 per year and opened five new medical schools. This cap is not due to a lack of demand to be a doctor from domestic students. In 2022, the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee found record numbers of students are applying to medical school, but there were around three times more people applying than spaces available.
Kevin thanked those medical staff who have come from around the world to work in Torbay’s NHS, they literally make our bay better. Yet we must not assume international recruitment can always be relied on to fill any gap between domestic training and demand for new doctors. There is a global shortfall of doctors estimated at 6.4 million and recruiting in developing countries where medical services are already weak raises serious ethical concerns.
