Medical schools: What’s happening with the planned expansion of places in England?

A planned doubling of medical school places in England to 15 000 by 2031-32 is in jeopardy, with the government refusing to commit to the goal.The BMJ can reveal that the number of students admitted in 2025-26 and for 2026-27 falls far below the planned trajectory for the increase unless an expanded number of international students are included.A failure to expand medical student places is also placing some medical schools—which opened in anticipation of an increased number of students—at risk of collapseThe goal of 15 000 medical school places by 2031-32 was set by the then prime minister, Rishi Sunak, in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan in 2023.1But two years on experts have told The BMJ they believe it is now unlikely the new Labour government will stick to the 15 000 target—and that this spring’s new NHS 10 year workforce plan will quietly aim for a reduced number…