Sutton Trust response to government announcement on access to medical careers

“The Government has announced a package of measures to break down long-standing barriers into medical careers for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, as part of the workforce commitments outlined in their 10 Year Health Plan for England . Commenting on the announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care, our CEO Nick Harrison said: “As our Unequal Treatment report clearly demonstrated, medicine remains a highly elitist profession. For too many young people without social, academic or financial advantages, a successful medical career can feel like a pipe dream. “Today only a tiny proportion of medical students come from working class families, so this announcement is a welcome commitment to change. The NHS needs brilliant professionals from all backgrounds, and we all benefit from having an NHS that looks more like the communities it serves. “It’s good to see the 2000 funded places on university access programmes being targeted at the areas of most need. The announcement of 2000 new nursing apprenticeships is also welcome news, opening up valuable career opportunities. “Moving forward, we would like to see further action on simplifying the application processes to medical schools, which our experience and research has found can be a particular barrier for disadvantaged students, and supporting them through the process. Applications can be complex and demanding, some with multiple tests or interviews which vary across medical schools. More privileged students will often be coached through the entry process, giving them a significant advantage. “We’d also like to see more support for students once at medical school, in particular recognising the stressful financial challenges facing students from low income families. Many have to work to support themselves through their courses, and placements bring further expenses. The Sutton Trust has long argued for improvements to student maintenance across higher education, and medical students are at the sharp end with longer courses and higher costs. NHS bursaries do not currently provide adequate support. “Meanwhile, medical schools themselves could look to minimise or mitigate additional costs – supporting these students to succeed alongside their wealthier peers.” Read the full findings and recommendations from our report . The post Sutton Trust response to government announcement on access to medical careers appeared first on The Sutton Trust .

Summary generated from the RSS feed of Sutton Trust. All article rights belong to the original publisher. Click through to read the full piece on www.suttontrust.com.