HC Deb 19 January 2000 vol 342 cc438-9W
Mr. Bob Russell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applicants for medical schools, in each of the last three years for which figures are available, were(a) accepted and (b) rejected; how many qualified; and how many took up positions in NHS hospitals. [104577]

Mr. Wicks

The available data for applicants in the three most recent years are given in the table. Not all those applicants who failed to obtain a place will necessarily have been rejected; some may have declined their offers, withdrawn from the scheme or opted for a year out.

Students applying for undergraduate medical courses in the UK via UCAS
Year of entry Number of applicants Number of applicants who were accepted
1997 12,025 4,894
1998 12,078 5,029
1999 11,807 5,119

Information showing the number of students who completed first degrees in medicine is given in the table. Data on the number of students taking up employment in NHS hospitals are not held centrally.

Students obtaining first degrees in medicine in the UK
Year Number
1995–96 4,888
1996–97 5,072
1997–98 5,137