Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 17 November 2021
I am sorry; I am a bit tight for time.
It is important that we listen to the professional organisations that exist to protect patients and improve education and practices across our NHS. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow concluded that removing the cap is the right thing to do and it would be a shot in the arm for the NHS. The medical schools need to optimise student numbers, as the standards must remain high and the funding model must be right.
Scotland needs to start training larger numbers of nurses, doctors, surgeons, and other healthcare professionals in order to cope with the demand. Removing the cap on medical school places will not solve the crisis that we face this winter, but it will be a step in the right direction, and it will mean that we can build an NHS in Scotland that will be the envy of our neighbours and of the world.
Let us do this: remove the cap permanently and provide opportunities here in Scotland for our own bright young people, and let us ensure that we have a well-staffed and resourced NHS that is able to deliver world-class care.
I move,
That the Parliament calls on the Scottish Government to remove the cap on funded training places for students from Scotland studying for frontline NHS roles.
16:41