Six in 10 UK medical students report cutting or stopping spending on essentials, according to a British Medical Association (BMA) poll. Many question their decision to go into medicine and some consider quitting before they qualify. The exodus could worsen the workforce crisis plaguing the NHS, which is already short of thousands of doctors. More than half (53.6%) of UK medical students say they have to work during term time to pay their bills, eat and stay warm, the survey found, with 73.1% of those they state that this negatively affects their studies. The BMA is urging ministers to reform the means-testing process for the NHS bursary and increase the allowance given to eligible students. The union argues that poorer students are being disadvantaged, which could jeopardize their future careers in health services, meaning the NHS risks losing some of its much-needed workforce in the coming years. Her survey of 1,119 medical students across the UK found that 61.8% of students reported having to cut back on essentials such as food, heating and clothing, while almost one in 25 students reported accessing food banks. Students receiving an NHS bursary were told it would cover just 30% of their projected costs. Omolara Akinnawonu, co-chairman of the BMA’s medical student committee, described the student finance system as “broken and in urgent need of reform”. He said: “Before even entering a depleted and deflated NHS workforce, medical students are being worked to exhaustion. This negatively affects their studies and leaves them questioning their future careers as doctors. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “The NHS bursary in particular fails lower-income students, forcing them to work long hours on top of their studies and NHS clinical placements just to make ends meet.” He continued: “This is no way to train our future doctors. We have a mental health emergency in universities that is about to explode as inflation soars and the cost of living spirals out of control.” “Meanwhile, medical students, saddled with astronomical student debts, in some cases totaling £100,000, are questioning their future in the NHS and whether the financial and emotional struggle will be worth it. “With the NHS facing an unprecedented workforce crisis and a shortfall of more than 8,000 doctors in England alone, the Government urgently needs to review medical student funding and provide the support it needs, or risk losing talented future doctors even further and when it invests it requires funding for their education.” Medical and dental students in England can apply for a £1,000 scholarship per academic year without a means test, tuition fee and a stipend based on their household income. According to the NHS Business Services Authority website, prices for full-time students are up to £2,207 if students live with their parents, £3,191 if studying in London and £2,643 if studying outside London. The BMA said medical students in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland faced similar challenges and its committees would pursue change with their respective governments. BMA Wales recently succeeded in persuading the Welsh Government to review the NHS bursary. A government spokesman said: “We are committed to supporting medical students in England throughout their years of study and are keeping the funding arrangements for all healthcare students under review. When a student is struggling financially and is eligible for the NHS bursary, there is extra funding where they may be able to claim between £100 and £3,000, as well as wider government support available for vulnerable and low-income people, including students.”
