The British Medical Association (BMA) has warned that the financial system supporting medical students in England is “broken” after a survey revealed that more than four in 10 medical students have considered pausing or abandoning their studies due to financial pressures.
The BMA’s poll of over 3,500 medical students found that 43% had thought about leaving or interrupting their course because of difficulties in affording basic living costs. More than six in 10 students (62%) reported cutting back on essentials such as food or heating, while nearly three-quarters had been forced to rely on financial support from parents or family members.
The financial struggles faced by students have become so severe that some have resorted to living in vans due to an inability to afford rented accommodation. Others have taken on multiple jobs to make ends meet, while hundreds have had to apply for hardship or emergency university funds, and over 100 students admitted to using food banks.
BMA calls for urgent action
The BMA has urged the Government to act swiftly, arguing that the crisis is putting the future of Britain’s medical workforce at risk. Henry Budden and Sophie Mitchell, deputy co-chairs (finance) of the BMA’s medical students’ committee, said:
“These findings are alarming and should be all the evidence the Government needs to see that the finance system for medical students in England is broken – now is the time to deliver on a solution.”
They emphasised that, at a time when the Government is trying to rebuild the NHS and ensure a strong pipeline of medical professionals, it is unacceptable that students who have worked hard to earn a place at medical school are facing severe financial barriers that could force them out of training.
“Medicine is longer than many other degrees for good reason; because we want to ensure doctors working in the NHS have the best possible training. It is only right then that they should receive the appropriate funding to see them through the entirety of their course.”
A ‘broken’ financial system
According to the BMA’s Fix Our Finance campaign, financial support for medical students has stagnated since 2012, leaving many significantly worse off in later years of study.
The union claims that students lose out on thousands of pounds when they transition from receiving full student finance maintenance funding in their early years to NHS bursary-funded years, which typically begin in their fifth year.
The BMA is calling on the Government to allow all undergraduate and graduate medical students to access full student finance maintenance funding throughout their studies, a measure which it estimates would cost the Treasury £24 million.
‘A reality of debt and struggle’
Students themselves have described the financial situation as unsustainable and deeply stressful.
Tommy Collings, a fourth-year foundation entry student at the University of Manchester, highlighted the financial burden he has faced since moving onto the NHS bursary system.
“When I went on to the NHS bursary finance, I ended up being something crazy, like five or six thousand pounds worse off than the previous year. I have three jobs, and I have had to sell some of my belongings to get by. For a time, I even lived in a van outside the university as I couldn’t afford to live in rented accommodation; the spiral of debt is such a reality.”
Mr Budden and Ms Mitchell warned that many students are burning themselves out trying to juggle part-time work with the intense demands of a medical degree.
“The stories from medical students who are worried about how they will manage to pay their rent or cover basics such as food, and those who are burning themselves out trying to balance multiple jobs alongside the demands of a medicine degree are disheartening and unnecessary.”
They also highlighted how the current system is deepening inequality, with students from less privileged backgrounds struggling significantly more than their wealthier peers.
“We are also hearing from those who are feeling increasingly alienated from their fellow students who have more financial support, as this funding gap is creating a worrying divide and placing too many students at a disadvantage.”
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Government response
A Government spokesperson acknowledged the concerns raised but pointed to recent funding increases for medical students.
“We are committed to supporting people from all backgrounds to become doctors, and in this academic year have provided an uplift of 2% to NHS Bursary maintenance grants and allowances.”
However, they conceded that more needed to be done to rectify the historic lack of financial support for medical students, adding that funding arrangements remain under review.
Despite this, the BMA insists that urgent reforms are needed now to prevent talented students from being forced to abandon their medical careers before they even begin.
“If the Government doesn’t change this, it will only discourage hardworking, talented students from more diverse backgrounds from pursuing a career in medicine. By ensuring that medical students can retain their entitlement to full student finance maintenance funding throughout their studies, the Government can drastically improve the financial outlook for many concerned students in England today.”
With the NHS already under pressure due to workforce shortages, the stakes could not be higher. If medical students continue to face crippling financial difficulties, the long-term impact on Britain’s healthcare system could be devastating.
