Record numbers rejected by medical schools

The dramatic shortage of places at medical schools is revealed today.

New figures show universities are being forced to turn away record numbers of young people who want to become doctors.

More than 50,000 school-leavers will receive rejection letters in the next few weeks. The number of rejected applications is rising despite the chronic shortage of doctors, with vacancies for GPs and hospital doctors being filled by hundreds of foreign recruits.

Critics argue that the lack of places for medical students is depriving the NHS of thousands of gifted individuals, and say more must be done to use home-grown talent.

Health chiefs have spent millions increasing capacity at medical schools - doubling the number of places for undergraduates between 1997 and 2003.

Last year, there were 6,030 university places to study medicine in Britain, compared with 3,749 when Labour came to power. But figures from the University and

College Admissions Service (UCAS) show the increased capacity is easily outstripped by the rising number of applicants.

Demand for medical courses soared by more than a fifth this year, with 68,456 young people applying for about 7,600 places on courses beginning this September - 11,099 more than last year. Competition is fiercest at medical schools in the capital, where between eight and nine school-leavers apply for every place.

Imperial College London today revealed the number of applicants for this September had risen by 18 per cent since last year - with no new capacity to absorb them. Many have straight A-grades at GCSE, AS Level and A-Level.

The problem was highlighted this week by 18-year-old Lucy Barnett, who has four A grades at AS level, nine A-stars and two As at GCSE, and is predicted to get straight As in her A-levels. She applied to four medical schools but was turned down by them all.

Lee Bisset, chairman of the British Medical Association's student committee, said: "The competition to get into medical school now is incredible, and there are just not enough places.

"Huge efforts have been made to increase capacity but, considering how short we are of doctors, there is a long way to go."

Figures obtained by the Standard show that school-leavers hoping to study medicine in London this September have the best chance if they apply to University College London, where one in seven applicants will be successful.

Competition is toughest at King's College, where only one in 10 will succeed this year,

and one in nine will get a place

at St George's Hospital Medical School.

The cost of training medical students means the number of places is strictly set by the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills. A spokeswoman for St George's said: "We see a significant increase in applications every year but have no power over the number of places. Our hands are tied."

The BMA estimates that Britain needs 10,000 more GPs, and thousands more hospital doctors. Last year the Home Office granted 2,947 foreign doctors permission to work in Britain, suggesting health chiefs are plugging the gaps with overseas recruits.

Employing doctors from overseas is far cheaper than training medical students. The Health Department said today: "There are more doctors in training than ever before."