Medical Graduates Per 100,000 Population (2017): 12.9
Nursing Graduates Per 100,000 Population (2017): 29.4
Percent Share of Foreign-Trained Doctors (2017): 28.7%
Percent Share of Foreign-Trained Nurses (2017): 15.0%

Source: OECD (2019), Health at a Glance 2019: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/4dd50c09-en.

“To train in medicine, students spend five years on an undergraduate degree course, which takes place under the supervision of the United Kingdom General Medical Council (GMC). There are 34 medical schools in the United Kingdom. Graduates then enter a two-year foundation programme (F1 and F2), entering placements in several specialty and health care settings. Specialist training begins after F1 and F2 rotations. Medical royal colleges create curricula and assessments for specialist training. The GMC approves curricula, assessments and the distribution of training posts (specialty registrar posts).

“Specialists train in hospitals for five to seven years, and then join the GMC Specialist Register and can be appointed to a consultant post. GPs train for at least three years – two years in hospitals and the third in a GP practice. They then join the GMC’s GP Register and can work as a GP. On average it takes nine years of clinical training after medical school to become a GP, and eleven years to become a hospital consultant. Staff grade doctors are those who do not become consultants, either by choice or by failing to gain a post.

“Continuing professional development (CPD) is required of all doctors. Doctors show their proficiency in CPD by two methods: the annual appraisal process (one for GPs and one for consultants), and the five-yearly revalidation process introduced in 2012.”

Source: Cylus J, Richardson E, Findley L, Longley M, O’Neill C, Steel D. United Kingdom: Health system review. Health Systems in Transition, 2015; 17(5): 1–125.

“The student loan for tuition fees is provided by the SLC [Student Loans Company] and covers the cost of tuition fees for your course. This loan is not dependent on your household income. The loan will cover the full amount you are charged for tuition fees (£9,250 per year for all medical schools in England as of 2018/19).

“The BMA has consistently passed policy in support of free education and the abolition of tuition fees. We believe entrance to medical school should be based on ability, not ability to pay. Examples of incidence when we have proactively organised in support of this objective include when, in 2017, we voted to support the boycott of the National Student Survey due to, amongst many things, its links to a punitive system of ever-increasing tuition fees.

“Student loan for maintenance
“The student loan for maintenance is provided by the SLC and is intended to help with accommodation and other living costs. The amount you can borrow depends upon
– Whether you are living with your parents or not
– Whether you are studying London or not
– Your household income and whether you have any siblings also receiving SFE support.”

Source: Medical student finance guide 2018 – English domicile students. British Medical Association.

“There are three key organisations that provide funding for medical students from England:

“1. The Student Loans Company (SLC), which administers Student Finance England financial support in the form of:
“– Variable tuition fee loan
“– Means-tested student loan for maintenance
“– Other forms of financial support including the disabled students’ allowance and travel grants.

“2. The University where you study, which administers:
“– Access to learning funds and hardship funding
“– Scholarships, grants and bursaries
“– Academic prizes

“3. NHS Student Bursaries which administers:
“– Tuition fee bursary
“– Universal, non-means tested grant for maintenance
“– Means tested grant for maintenance
“– NHS Hardship Grant
“– Other forms of financial support including childcare allowance and practice placement expenses.”

Source: Medical student finance guide 2018 – English domicile students. British Medical Association.

Student Loans

How much you repay

“How much you repay depends on which plan you’re on.

“Each plan has a threshold for your weekly or monthly income. You repay:

• 9% of the amount you earn over the threshold for Plan 1 and 2
• 6% of the amount you earn over the threshold for the Postgraduate Loan

“You do not pay anything back if your income is under the threshold.

Interest starts being added to your loan from when you get your first payment.”

Source: “Repaying your student loan: How much you repay,” UK Government, last accessed July 26, 2020.

Postgraduate Loan

“The thresholds are £404 a week or £1,750 a month (before tax and other deductions).”

Source: “Repaying your student loan: How much you repay,” UK Government, last accessed July 26, 2020.

Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems in the US and sixteen other nations.

Page last updated Sept. 22, 2022 by Doug McVay, Editor.