Student doctors protest in Westminster over funding concern

BMA students are calling on more government support for student doctors

Transcript

00:00So we're here, we're representing medical students, we're talking about the huge drop

00:03in student finance that medical students experience in their final year of study. This is on average

00:08£3,500 due to an anomaly in the funding system. So students are experiencing a £3,500 drop

00:15due to receiving funding from the NHS bursary alongside the student finance entitlement

00:20as well. So we're here outside the Department for Education, taking our anger directly to

00:24the Secretary of State, asking for a full maintenance loan throughout all our years

00:27of studies to help fix our funding and stop the drop. So we're asking for Bridget Philipson

00:32to instruct the student loans company to provide a full maintenance loan throughout all years

00:36of medical student funding, rather than students experiencing this drop in their final years

00:41of study. So we're asking her to stop the drop, to meet with us, to discuss the issues

00:45facing medical students and to fix our funding. So I'm actually approaching my last few years

00:51of medical school and I currently have three jobs whilst being a full-time medical student

00:56and I'm even more worried for next year because my postcode is going to change every two months.

01:01So how can I even hold a job if I have to do clinical rotation in different parts of

01:07south of England and my postcode changes every two months? It's almost impossible to do that

01:11as well as balancing extracurricular activities and my studies. I would say it's really hard.

01:16For example, two days ago I had a shift that finished up just about midnight. I had to

01:20be in the hospital for around 8.30. So it's really, really hard and it's so hard to maintain

01:26the things I do and do. For example, I play rugby. I don't know if you can tell from my jumper,

01:31but I really enjoy playing rugby. I don't get to play rugby anymore just because you

01:35do have to start prioritising, you know, getting some money versus my exams are also approaching

01:39very soon. So it's a very tricky balance to be on. So the BMA survey showed that 60% of

01:46students are having to cut down on essential spending, things like food and heating. Some

01:51medical students are having to work multiple part-time jobs alongside a full-time medical

01:56degree. It's simply unacceptable. We're seeing medical students go to food banks just to

02:00make ends meet. The drop in funding is absolutely enormous and it's pushing students right over

02:04the edge. Yeah, we are. We're seeing four in ten medical students said that they were

02:08considering dropping out, leaving the course because of their financial situation, which

02:12is totally unacceptable when we're trying to provide a workforce for the future in an

02:16NHS that needs doctors more than ever before. I would say to her to listen to what we're

02:20saying. We're here wanting to work in the NHS and provide doctors for the future. So

02:25you need to ensure that we have a sustainable pathway on to work in the NHS so that we can

02:30provide health care as we as we should for the country. Look, good afternoon to you all. As

02:35chair of the BMA, I stand here because the future of the NHS depends on our medical students. You

02:47are the doctors of the future. People who will be looking after me in my old age as I grow in

02:58greater need.