Medical research and teaching

(Photograph) - Research funding for medical and dental schools follows a radically different pattern from that of higher education research funding in general. The pie charts, based on the latest available official figures, show that charities provide by far the largest proportion, 37 per cent, compared to 14 per cent for overall research. A smaller percentage comes from the funding and research councils, 36 per cent compared to 59 per cent, while the funding from central Government and health and hospital authorities totals 12 per cent, higher than the 10 per cent for all university research.

Department of Health research funding faces radical reorganisation into a single stream, but the figures show the current DoH funding system, which includes Pounds 120 million as the notional 25 per cent research element of the Service Increment for Teaching and Research.

Latest student figures show a jump in applications for medicine and dentistry in 1994 and 1995, when the number of applications each individual could make rose from five to eight. The number of entrants to nursing courses has been decreasing throughout the UK. This follows the Government decision in 1989 that nurses should have a minimum diploma qualification, and should be supported by health care assistants trained at a lower level. Trusts have subsequently commissioned fewer places at diploma level, but a further review by the DoH is widely expected to show that intakes should now be increased.