In a step towards addressing workforce shortages and diversifying educational pathways, the National Health Service (NHS) has introduced medical degree apprenticeships. This approach aims to widen access to medical education, increase workforce retention, and ultimately better patient care. In this article, we cover everything you need to know about these apprenticeships, including their structure, benefits, challenges, and potential impact on the NHS.

What are NHS Doctor Apprenticeships?

NHS doctor apprenticeships are a new initiative designed to offer an alternative route into medicine, allowing individuals to train as doctors while working within the NHS. Like all other apprenticeships, they provide a combination of academic study and practical experience, enabling future doctors to earn a salary while learning on the job. The pilot scheme for Medical Doctor Degree Apprenticeships is set to open applications in September 2024.

Structure and requirements:

Like traditional medical school, the apprenticeship typically spans five to six years. During this time, apprentices undertake both clinical placement and academic study. Participants are employed by NHS Trusts, where they’ll work within a non-clinical NHS role such as a porter or ward clerk while pursuing their medical degrees.

To be eligible for the apprenticeship, candidates must meet both academic and non-academic requirements. While traditional medical degrees often require high grades in A-levels or equivalent qualifications, these apprenticeships have more flexible entry requirements, making them accessible to a wider range of candidates.

For 2024, the main provider of the apprenticeship scheme is a collaboration between Anglia Ruskin university and East Suffolk and North Essex NHS foundation trust. They have 20 slots available for their scheme, with the non-clinical role starting in July 2024, while the academic course begins in September 2024. You can access their course guide here.

Pay will likely vary between providers however the aforementioned scheme pays as follows:

Year 1 - £14,000

Year 2 - £17,000

Year 3 - £19,000

Year 4 - £20,000

year 5 - £22,000

Benefits of NHS Doctor Apprenticeships:

1. Widening Access: By offering an alternative pathway into medicine and welcoming individuals from a variety of backgrounds, apprenticeships diversify the future demographic of doctors. This inclusivity contributes to a more representative healthcare workforce, better equipped to understand the needs of diverse patient populations.
2. Reducing Workforce Shortages: Staffing shortages have led to many challenges within the NHS. Apprenticeships provide a means to attract and retain doctors, increasing workforce numbers and improving staffing numbers.
3. Practical Experience: The hands-on nature of apprenticeships will allow future doctors to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-life clinical settings. The bulk of your training will be on the wards and in real clinical settings, face to face with patients as soon as you begin!
4. Managing your finances: Unlike traditional medical degrees, apprentices receive a salary throughout their training. This support can alleviate the burden of student debt and make a career in medicine more accessible to individuals from lower-income backgrounds.

Challenges of NHS Doctor Apprenticeships:

1. Balancing Clinical Workload and academic Study: Juggling both work and study can be very difficult and potentially lead to burnout if apprentices are not adequately supported.
2. Ensuring quality of supervision and training: It may be hard to maintain consistent and high-quality supervision during clinical placements. Inconsistent supervision may compromise apprentices’ learning experiences and impact their ability to develop skills essential in clinical practice.
3. The impact on current Doctors/supervisors: As part of their career, NHS doctors, specifically those in teaching hospitals are expected to teach medical students. Effective teaching often proves to be a challenge, especially since clinical work always takes priority. There has been some concern from current doctors regarding how feasible it will be to adequately train and support medical apprentices.

The introduction of NHS doctor apprenticeships has the potential to bring about significant positive changes within the healthcare sector. By diversifying the workforce and increasing the number of trained doctors, these apprenticeships can enhance the accessibility and quality of healthcare services across the UK by reducing waiting times and increasing staffing levels. The scheme may come with its challenges; however the medicine apprenticeship scheme is a great opportunity to access a career in medicine without some of the barriers traditionally in place.

At the time of writing, there is limited information available online regarding medical apprenticeships in the UK. To keep up to date with the latest news surrounding medical apprenticeships and other similar opportunities, get in touch with our team and join the Future Doc programme here. Best of luck !