Warning of NHS recruitment disaster as Universities consider top up fees

Plans to charge medical students up to the full cost of their university courses could be disastrous for the NHS recruitment drive, warned the BMA this month.

Details of future funding are expected in the government's white paper on education. But the government announced this week that the publication of the paper is to be delayed for a third time, until January 2003. Currently, student fees in publicly funded institutions are capped at a maximum of £1100 per year ($1738; a1723), payable on a means tested basis.

Tony Blair …