# Too many, too soon? Challenges in medical school expansion in the United Kingdom

## TL;DR

The paper argues that expanding medical schools in the UK may not solve staffing shortages due to challenges in training capacity and sustainability.

## Contribution

The paper critiques the viability of medical school expansion as a solution to the NHS workforce crisis.

## Key findings

- Medical school expansion may not address bottlenecks in doctors' career progression.
- Clinical capacity and educational standards are at risk with unchecked expansion.
- A moratorium on expansion is recommended until workforce planning is sustainable.

## Abstract

The persistent shortfall in medical staffing in the UK has drawn renewed focus since the government first published its NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, in which it pledged to double the capacity of UK medical schools in the context of significant bottlenecks in doctors’ pathways to career progression. In this article, we challenge the viability of medical school expansion as a tool to combat the persistent workforce crisis in the NHS. Our critique contributes to the ongoing workforce planning debate, and highlights issues with clinical capacity, sustainability, and the preservation of educational standards. With an updated Long Term Workforce Plan forthcoming, we urge policymakers to implement an immediate moratorium on medical school expansion in the UK until these factors — and a viable future for the medical profession — can be guaranteed.