Portsmouth Uni debuts branch medicine model to address GP shortage

An innovative new medicine course has opened this week at the University of Portsmouth.

The 54 enrolled students, from Hampshire to Edinburgh, are the first in the UK to study medicine in a branch of an established medical school – in this case, using places funded by King’s College London.

The branch model marks a novel solution to addressing the shortage of doctors in the UK.

King’s and the University of Portsmouth hope it will expand opportunities to study medicine in the South of England, where there’s a severe shortage of GPs. 

Portsmouth is one of the country’s most underserved regions, with fewer than 40 GPs per 100,000 patients.

The university aims to transition to an independent medical school by September 2028.

King’s four-year graduate entry medical programme previously accepted 23 students a year.

With a branch in Portsmouth, it will now be training 77 medics, leveraging the expertise of academics from both institutions.

Graduates will learn face-to-face with patients and medics from across the region and will emerge after four years with a bachelor of medicine and surgery degree (MBBS).

Nationally, NHS England has agreed to fund an extra 350 medical students from next year, with plans to increase that further – particularly in regions with the worst shortages. 

Under the new increased funded students figure, the number studying at Portsmouth is expected to rise from next year to 67 student doctors.

Prof Graham Galbraith, vice-chancellor at the University of Portsmouth, said: “We’re pleased to be supporting efforts to provide more doctors, particularly in our region where we don’t have a sufficient number of GPs.

“It’s our ambition that this new medical degree programme in a new state of the art purpose-built facility will contribute to alleviating the local shortfall in medics and improve access to healthcare for local people.

“We welcome the King’s College London colleagues who will be working hand in glove with our own academics and our region’s NHS Trusts and GPs to train urgently needed doctors.

“We’re pleased to be welcoming our students – we know they will be engaged and inspired by the education they will enjoy, our region’s populations and their healthcare needs, and by our city.

“We offer our heartfelt thanks to our local NHS trusts, our region’s GPs and other partners for their support in the development of this exciting new provision.”

The branch builds on the successful existing partnership between both universities in the delivery of King’s undergraduate dental education at the University of Portsmouth.

Professor Elizabeth Hughes, medical director in the workforce training and education directorate of NHS England, was guest of honour at the official opening.

The event was also attended by leaders in healthcare from across Hampshire and Isle of Wight, as well as the King’s medicine degree course team and King’s vice-chancellor and president Prof Shitij Kapur.

Prof Kapur added: “We’re incredibly proud to be working with the University of Portsmouth to deliver our graduate entry medical programme.

“Universities play a critical role in addressing the challenges facing us today, and the impact of this partnership will be felt not only in the Portsmouth area but far beyond as we prepare the next generation of medical professionals.

“We’re very grateful for the support of local trusts and other partners in the development of this programme, which serves as a powerful example of what can be achieved through partnership.

“We wish all our new students a fruitful and exciting first year on the South Coast.”

Applications via UCAS for 2025 entry to the new branch close in mid-October.

Two other branch medical schools with donated places are due to open next year – Imperial College is due to open a branch medical degree course at Cumbria University, and University of Nottingham is to open a branch at the University of Lincoln.