Shortened medical training for physiotherapists and pharmacists must not reduce standards, doctors warn

The government has announced proposals for existing healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists or pharmacists, to train as doctors in less than five years.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that now that the UK has left the European Union, people who were already working as healthcare professionals could train to become doctors and nurses more quickly.1 Currently, medical training standards set by the EU mean that doctors have to train for a minimum of five years.

Under the potential new system, however, a physiotherapist who has been in the job for 10 years could complete training based on their experience and qualifications, rather …