Strategic Growth for Tomorrows Doctors: Undergraduate Medical Expansion in the North East and North Cumbria

Executive Summary  

Purpose and Context of this Review 

This report presents a comprehensive regional analysis of undergraduate medical expansion across the North East and North Cumbria (NENC), undertaken in response to government aims to increase medical training capacity amid ongoing workforce shortages. Primarily, this project sought to evaluate the region’s readiness for further medical school expansion, identify barriers to growth, and propose system-wide approaches capable of supporting sustainable increases in student numbers. 

Historically underdoctored, NENC has experienced marked diversification in its undergraduate medical education landscape since 2019, with Sunderland Medical School graduating its first cohort, the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine (PCSM) launching in 2025, and further expansion proposals emerging from Teesside University. The proliferation of new medical schools has brought opportunity but has also intensified pressures on educational infrastructure, clinical placements, and educator workforce sustainability. This project therefore aimed to develop a unified regional position and generate collaborative, feasible recommendations for future growth. 

Methodology 

Using a mixed-methods approach, the project team undertook a detailed desktop review of historical placement data from four Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the provider organisations, followed by structured engagement with over 25 stakeholders across primary and secondary care. This methodology enabled the triangulation of operational, workforce, and strategic challenges while highlighting examples of innovation and good practice. Findings were expanded and refined through a set of regional workshops, which supported collective problem-solving and the alignment of local insights with regional priorities. 

Key Regional Findings 

Key themes emerged across several domains in this piece of work. Firstly, educator workforce capacity requires urgent and coordinated attention. Trusts have adopted diverse approaches to Teaching Fellow recruitment and educational job planning, with some successfully integrating multidisciplinary educators. However, inconsistencies in remuneration, recognition, progression, and job-planned teaching time threaten sustainability, particularly as multiple medical school curricula increase assessment and teaching demands. Secondly, estate constraints were cited as the most significant barrier to expansion, with providers reporting limitations in teaching space, simulation capacity, and dedicated educational environments. While some organisations have demonstrated proactive investment using medical education tariff, others face structural and funding obstacles that impede longterm estate development. 

A third theme concerned placement distribution, and the risk of displacement as new medical school placement models come to fruition. Providers emphasised the value of geographically dispersed placements—particularly in influencing graduate retention—while expressing concern that uncoordinated expansion could destabilise existing arrangements. This was closely linked to the challenge of delivering multiple curricula concurrently, with governance restrictions and administrative duplication placing strain on educator capacity. 

One of the most illuminating findings of this project was the discovery of numerous innovative models across the region, which may offer replicable solutions. These include joint educator posts resulting from HEI & Trust collaboration, addressing local consultant shortages, and primary care projects enabling teaching in unused NHS estate. Additionally, innovations targeting students – a key stakeholder group – demonstrated enhanced placement experience and educational value. These initiatives included top-sliced accommodation for distance placements, fleet vehicle schemes, and innovative placement models including longitudinal integrated clerkships and servicelearning models for training. 

Conclusion and Future Direction 

This report culminated in a set of strategic recommendations, through which coordinated regional action is essential. Recommendations include the formation of a regional oversight group, establishment of workforce and estates planning mechanisms, enhanced crossinstitutional collaboration, and development of national guidance to support shared curricula and placement models. Collectively, these measures are intended to strengthen the region’s capability to expand medical student numbers sustainably while ensuring highquality clinical education and improved longterm workforce retention for the future of the NHS.