London medical students say they cannot live on NHS bursaries

Some medical students in London say they cannot prioritize their studies as they have to work part-time jobs to make ends meet.

The #LiveableNHSBursary campaign has started on Twitter, with students sharing the financial reality of college and saying NHS grants aren’t enough.

A representative from the medical association said students were “forced to choose between eating or passing the final exams.”

The government said there were hardship grants for those struggling the most.

Trisha Suji is a third year medical student in London and a representative for Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK), a group that supports the #LiveableNHSBursary campaign and encourages people to write to their local MPs.

Like other medical students, she worked long hours to make ends meet.

“In the first year, during the Christmas holidays, I worked in a pharmacy warehouse almost every day,” said Ms. Suji. “I left the holiday exhausted and completely unprepared for my exams in January.”

She added, “Through the #LiveableNHSBursary campaign, I’ve read stories of medical students who finished their day at medical school and went straight to work on the night shift in various roles before heading back to the internship completely sleepless.

“I’ve also read stories of medical students who took out multiple credit cards and got into debt out of utter desperation.

“You are forced to choose between eating or passing the finals.

“London rent is just unaffordable for people like me as a student,” Ms. Suji added.

“I can’t afford to live near campus, my parents can’t support my living expenses – I don’t have a safety net.

“No one stands behind you.”

Medical students are entitled to the same amount as other students, currently up to £12,382 in London, for the first four years of their studies if they live away from home.

The NHS bursary offers eligible full-time undergraduate students a non-means-tested stipend of £1,000 for the first 30 weeks and a means-tested stipend of up to £3,191 for those living in London in their fifth and sixth year of the year.

Those studying longer are entitled to an extra £108 a week in London if living away from home and £56 if living with parents.

Medical students can also get ‘a reduced maintenance loan’ from Student Finance England in years five and six – in London this is up to £3,354 if living away from home and up to £1,744 if living at home.

This means that medical students living away from home in the capital will see their earnings drop to a maximum of £8,625 per academic year over the final two years, when they spend most of their time on placement.

The British Medical Association (BMA), a group representing medical students, has accused the government of not doing enough.

Khadija Meghrawi, Co-Chair of BMA’s Medical Student Committee, said: “It is deeply concerning that students are facing financial difficulties because the support they receive during their studies is not sufficient to cover their basic needs.

“This is a government failure to allocate sufficient funds.

“For years we’ve heard cases of our fellow food bank students feeling overwhelmed with debt and exhausted from working long hours full-time while studying medicine.

“No student should have to choose between completing their studies or making ends meet.”

Medical students have more class time compared to the average student and often work up to 40 hours a week when doing an internship, without pay.

The financial worries also lead to other problems for medical students, Ms. Suji says, including the impact on their social lives.

“I miss seeing my friends,” she said.

“Constantly saying no to plans with friends because you just can’t afford it is the most embarrassing and isolating thing.

“You need friends in medical school, you need that time to de-stress – learning to be in an emotionally challenging environment like a hospital alongside a difficult degree requires support networks.

“Inadequate living expense funding during these final clinical years means countless medical students are already burned out before they enter an exhausted and drained workforce.”

Ms. Suji said the current system is failing students from low-income backgrounds.

“I will be returning to the pharmacy camp where I worked during my freshman year this summer vacation and plan to work most days,” she explained.

“My other higher-income friends can use this summer to further their medical careers – by participating in research projects and conferences.

“I’ll miss it.”

DAUK has outlined the changes it would like to see implemented, including “immediate access to full maintenance loans” and an adjustment of travel and accommodation costs to the rising cost of living.

It would also be desirable for medical students to have access to the NHS Learning Support Fund, which is available to other healthcare students and allows all medical students to receive a £5,000 non-income-based bursary instead of the current £1,000 they are receiving obtain.

The Department for Health and Social Care said hardship grants were available and stressed that unlike regular student loans, NHS grants do not have to be repaid.

A spokesman said: “We are committed to supporting medical students in England across all academic years and we are keeping an eye on funding arrangements for all healthcare students.”