Medical education will be ¡°modernised¡± while universities will be ¡°held to account¡± on widening participation, according to the government¡¯s 10-year plan for the future of the NHS.

The strategy, , highlights a need to ¡°dramatically improve access to the medical profession for those from disadvantaged backgrounds¡±, given only?5 per cent of medical school entrants are from the lowest socio-economic groups.

It promises that data on the relevant background of university entrants will be published, starting with those studying medicine, to ¡°drive greater transparency and hold universities to account for widening participation¡±.

Any expansion of medical school places will be ¡°be targeted at medical schools with a proven track record of widening participation¡±, the document adds.

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¡°The admissions process to medical school will be improved with better information, signposting and support for applicants, and more systematic use of contextual admissions.¡±

Addressing the cost of studying medicine, the plan says the government will ¡°explore options to improve financial support to students from the lowest socio-economic background so that they are able to thrive at medical school¡±.

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Nick Harrison, the chief executive of social mobility charity the Sutton Trust, which will work with the government on its access drive, said the announcement ¡°marks a major milestone in opening up access to the medicine profession¡±.

Labour said the health service ¡°stands at an existential brink¡± and must ¡°reform or die¡±. It proposes three ¡°radical shifts¡±: from hospitals to neighbourhoods; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention.

The way healthcare workers are educated and trained will need to change to ensure staff are equipped to deal with the new model, it says.

A review of medical training in England, being led by Stephen Powis and Chris Whitty, will ¡°modernise postgraduate medical education to better align with the evolving needs of patients, doctors and healthcare services¡±.

Education and training curricula will need to be ¡°overhauled¡±, it adds, to ensure staff ¡°leave formal training fully prepared to work in a modern healthcare system and not just ¡®fit for practice¡¯¡±.

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Course length will be reviewed ¡°in light of technological developments and a transition to lifelong rather than static training¡±.

It also warns that existing providers who are ¡°unable to move at the right pace¡± may be replaced by different institutions ¡°to ensure that the education market is responsive to employer needs¡±.

The plan highlights how there are ¡°bottlenecks in medical training pathways¡± because undergraduate medical places ¡°have been expanded without a commensurate expansion in postgraduate training places¡±.

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This was in part due to increased competition, the plan says,?caused by a decision by the previous government to open up these places to international trainees. Therefore, in future, the training needs of UK medical graduates will be prioritised.

Research and innovation are also highlighted as a key to the transformation of the NHS and the plan says it should be made a ¡°core part¡± of everyday clinical work and not a ¡°nice to have¡± activity for a small minority of academic centres.

Ed Hughes, chief executive of the Council of Deans of Health, said that universities and colleges ¡°will be essential to the plan¡¯s aim to move away from dependency on international recruitment¡±.

¡°Our members are constantly adapting their offer to ensure that graduates are ready to enter the rapidly evolving workplace and will continue to do so to make sure that future generations of healthcare professionals have the skills they need.¡±

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Delivering the changes will require ¡°concerted effort¡± across both health and education systems, Hughes added, but this requires ¡°addressing the challenges facing our higher education sector¡±.

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com