Medical Schools Council

Medical Schools Council
Name	Medical Schools Council
Type	Membership organisation
Founded	2006
Headquarters	London
Region served	United Kingdom

Medical Schools Council is a representative body that coordinates policy, standards, and collaboration among institutions that train physicians in the United Kingdom. It acts as a collective voice for deans and senior leaders from medical schools, engaging with regulatory bodies, funders, and professional organisations to shape undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. The Council supports research, workforce planning, and curriculum development through working groups and national programmes.

History

The organisation formed in response to sectoral reform following reviews such as the GMC's programme of modernisation and the expansion of medical student numbers recommended by reports like the Walport Report and initiatives linked to the Department of Health and Social Care. Early convenings drew leaders from institutions including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London, King's College London, and University of Edinburgh. Over time the body interacted with the General Medical Council on standards, worked alongside the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education on benchmarking, and contributed evidence to inquiries led by committees such as the House of Commons Health Select Committee.

Organisation and Governance

The Council is governed by an executive group composed of elected deans and representatives from constituent institutions including University of Manchester, University of Birmingham, Newcastle University, Queen Mary University of London, and University of Glasgow. Its secretariat operates from offices in London and coordinates committees on finance, education, assessment, equality, diversity and inclusion, and research. It liaises with statutory bodies such as NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and the Health and Care Professions Council. Periodic strategic reviews reference frameworks developed by organisations like the Higher Education Funding Council for England and comparable bodies in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Functions and Activities

The Council produces guidance, convenes specialist networks, and publishes data to inform workforce planning linked to the British Medical Association and postgraduate training overseen by bodies such as Health Education England. It runs national projects on curriculum mapping used by schools including Imperial College London and University of Southampton, and develops templates for partnership agreements with trusts including Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. The organisation sponsors symposia with academic bodies like the Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Royal College of General Practitioners, and collaborates with research funders such as the Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health Research. Its statistical outputs are used by regulators including the General Medical Council and planning agencies such as NHS Improvement.

Member Institutions

Membership comprises deans and senior leaders from medical schools across the UK, representing ancient universities like University of St Andrews and University of Aberdeen, civic universities such as University of Leicester and University of Sheffield, and modern institutions including Anglia Ruskin University and Keele University. Specialist and intercalated programmes from institutions such as St George's, University of London, University of Liverpool, Queen's University Belfast, Cardiff University, University of Dundee, and University of Warwick are represented. Members include partner organisations that work with healthcare providers like Barts Health NHS Trust and commissioning bodies such as Clinical Commissioning Groups prior to reforms.

Policy and Advocacy

The Council engages with parliamentary processes and submits evidence to inquiries hosted by entities including the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee and the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee. It advocates on funding settlements with departments such as the Treasury and negotiates workforce implications with agencies like NHS Employers. Policy positions have addressed issues arising from international agreements including the European Working Time Directive and migration frameworks affecting graduates from schools with programmes linked to international partners like Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia and transnational collaborations with institutions such as University of Dundee at Oman.

Education and Assessment Initiatives

The Council coordinates programmes on assessment design, workplace-based assessment frameworks, and objective structured clinical examinations used across schools including University of Nottingham and University of Leeds. It has developed guidance aligning curricula with standards set by the General Medical Council's outcomes for graduates and works with postgraduate assessment bodies such as the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Royal College of Psychiatrists. Collaborative initiatives include faculty development with partners like Advance HE and quality assurance projects referencing methodologies from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. The Council also fosters research into pedagogy and simulation linked to centres such as the Welsh Centre for Emergency Medicine Research and simulation units at University of Birmingham.

Category:Medical education in the United Kingdom Category:Higher education organisations based in the United Kingdom