Medical students will be recruited on their compassion, says Health Education England

Abstract

In response to the Francis Inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire NHS trust, Health Education England has said that it will require universities to assess medical school applicants on the basis of their values and behaviours. Ian Cumming, chief executive of Health Education England (HEE), the health authority with responsibility for medical education, said: “HEE will be talking to universities to ensure that every student we directly or indirectly fund to study nursing, medicine, physiotherapy, or any other health related course should be interviewed prior to being offered a place and they should also be subject to an assessment of their values and behaviours. If potential students cannot demonstrate the right values and behaviours to work in healthcare, why should tax payers spend tens or hundreds of thousands …