The RCP has responded to an article in The Times in which Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, called for the UK to train more doctors.
In response to the article, Dr Sarah Clarke, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: “The RCP has long campaigned for the number of medical school places to be expanded, so we welcome the chief executive of NHS England calling for a big increase.
“The NHS long-term workforce plan due later this year is an important opportunity to commit to an expansion in medical school and training places, underpinned by the necessary funding to make it happen. This should be complemented by immediate and serious efforts to retain existing staff at all career grades, including experienced colleagues considering leaving or retiring early. Doctors could not be expressing these concerns more loudly – planning for the future is key but so is urgently addressing the here and now.
“Training more doctors is a crucial part of creating a more sustainable health service – it will take time, but without gradually increasing the number of people in the system, we will struggle to meet patient demand.”
