From Undergraduate medicine degree admissions at Scottish universities: FOI release, published yesterday, we see 1 240 entrants to ‘Pre Clinical’ medicine for 2022-23, the latest HESA data available (245 from rUK).¹

From NHS England’s NHS England update on medical school training places, 28 February letter to Royal College of Physicians, published in February 2024:

We are currently ahead of plan on our initial milestone to increase medical training places from an intake of 7,500 in September 2023 to 8,200 places by September 2025, as set out on p129 of the LTWP. In September 2023, a total of 7,571 medical school places were funded for students, 71 higher than originally planned. Since then, the Government has confirmed funding for an extra 205 places in September 2024, an additional 350 places by September 2025, as well as up to 200 medical apprenticeship places. Therefore, the overall position for September 2025 is now expected to be up to 8,326 medical school places, which would be higher than the original LTWP planned trajectory.

So, self-satisfied, ‘ahead of plan’, NHS England had 7 500 medicine students enrolled in 2023, one year ahead of the Scottish figure of 1 240?

With only 10% of the population, per head, all things being equal, Scotland might have been expected to have 750 such students but had 1 240, 65% more!

Sources:

1. https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202400431082/
2. https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-england-update-on-medical-school-training-places-28-february-letter-to-royal-college-of-physicians/#:~:text=In%20September%202023%2C%20a%20total,to%20200%20medical%20apprenticeship%20places.