Pilot medical apprenticeship programmes in England, which were being trialled as a new route into the profession, have been paused by the government.
Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth, one of the universities in the pilot scheme, has been told not to recruit for the course—due to start in September 2025—pending a review of doctor apprenticeships, which were intended to widen access to medical careers. The arm’s length agency Skills England told course leaders at the medical school that it would review and “discuss areas where funding for level 7 apprenticeships will be restricted, and a decision will follow in due course.”
Laura Bowater, head of the Peninsula Medical School, described the government’s move as “disappointing.” She told The BMJ that the change was part of the government’s cooling towards level 7 apprenticeships, which include medicine.
Anglia Ruskin University has 25 medical apprentices on its course, which …
