Nurses could be offered the chance to become doctors by doing “part-time degrees” to tackle a shortfall in the number of medics.
Healthcare leaders are looking at ways to tackle the ongoing shortage of medics and have suggested that nurses, pharmacists, and physios should be offered the chance to train as Doctors working part-time alongside their current post.
Professor Ian Cumming, Head of Health Education England (HEE), said “the concept of part-time medical degrees” was among a number of ideas under discussion.
He also added; “If you’re a physician associate, or a pharmacist, or a physiotherapist or a nurse, why can’t you work for two or three days a week in that role and study medicine for two or three days a week and gain your medical degree that way?”
But, recent figures show the number of Nurses joining the profession is now less than those leaving and EU applications to work in the UK have dropped significantly. Experts have said the UK is entering a healthcare staffing crisis.
Earlier this week, the head of the NHS revealed plans to recruit 2,000 GPs from overseas, in a bid to plug growing shortages.