Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to increase the number of places for domestic students on medical courses in universities.

In England, the Office for Students (OfS) sets the maximum fundable limit for medical school places on an annual basis. OfS will publish its intake target for the 2026/27 academic year in due course.

For the 2025/26 academic year, OfS has published its intake target at 8,126 for medical school places, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/finance-and-funding/medicine-and-dentistry-funding/medical-and-dental-maximum-fundable-limits/

On 28 January, the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill was introduced in the House of Lords. This bill implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant NHS experience for specialty places.