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Medicine: Higher Education

Asked by Cat EcclesLabourDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 13 March 2026UIN 118412

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many medical students graduated from UK universities in each of the last five years; and how many doctors completed foundation training in each of the last five years.

Answered by Karin Smyth

Data published by the General Medical Council (GMC) provides information on the number of doctors with a United Kingdom Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ) by year. The following table shows the number of doctors graduating from UK medical schools in each of the last five years who then registered with the GMC:

PMQ Year

Total

2020

7,381

2021

7,356

2022

7,810

2023

8,279

2024

9,261

2025

9,734

Source: General Medical Council, UK graduates summary data, with further information available at the following link:
https://gde.gmc-uk.org/medical-schools/uk-graduates/uk-graduates-summary-data
Note: total represents the total number of doctors with a UK Primary Medical Qualification in that year who went onto register with the GMC.

Medical graduates complete a two-year Foundation Programme following graduation from medical school. Successful completion of the programme occurs at the end of Foundation Year Two (F2). Data on the number of doctors completing foundation training is published by the GMC through its Education Data Tool. Successful completion of foundation training is interpreted as completion of F2.

The following table shows data published by the GMC on the number of doctors completing F2 in each of the last five years:

Foundation Two Year

Number of F2 doctors

2019

7,195

2020

7,379

2021

7,686

2022

7,655

2023

7,591

Source: General Medical Council, Education Data Tool Progression Reports, with further information available at the following link:
https://edt.gmc-uk.org/progression-reports/recruitment-from-f2

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