The BMA has written to the Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson, urging that the Government take a cross-departmental approach to science and health innovation after funding cuts totalling more than £16 were announced for clinical academics in universities in England.
On Tuesday, the Education Secretary set out the Strategic Priorities Grant funding for 2026-27, outlining funding allocations for universities, which contained reductions of £16.7m for medical and dental academics.The BMA, alongside the British Dental Association, has now written to the Secretary of State for Education to warn that such cuts would have a disastrous impact on an already fragile sector, and undermine ambitions from other Government departments around research and innovation.
Writing to Ms Phillipson, BMA medical academics staff committee co-chairs Dr Jonathan Gibb and Professor David Strain, and BDA dental academic staff committee chair Petros Mylonas and vice chair Swati Nehete, say:“This funding supports pay parity between medical and dental academics and their NHS counterparts – a long-standing commitment that is vital to attracting doctors and dentists into medical education and research. Reducing investment in this workforce will weaken the UK’s capacity for research, innovation and medical education, ultimately affecting patient care, NHS resilience and economic growth.
“Medical and dental academics occupy a unique role across the health and education sectors. They are the clinicians leading the development of new diagnostics, treatments and models of care through world-leading research, responsible for up to a third of university grant income, while simultaneously educating and training the next generation of healthcare professionals. Reducing investment in this workforce will have consequences not only for research and innovation, but also for medical education, patient care, the long-term resilience of the NHS and the health of the UK economy.”
Highlighting the lack of coordination between departments, they say:
“These cuts are fundamentally at odds with the Government’s stated priorities. Ministers have rightly emphasised the importance of life sciences, research and innovation to economic growth, improved patient outcomes and NHS transformation. The Science and Technology Framework similarly recognises that attracting, developing and retaining talented researchers is central to maintaining the UK’s global leadership in science and technology. Reducing investment in the very workforce that delivers these ambitions sends a contradictory message and illustrates the need for greater coordination between health, education and science policy.
“We urge you to reconsider and work across departments to develop a long-term, sustainable approach to supporting medical and dental academics, including appropriate mechanisms for pay-setting and funding to ensure pay parity with NHS counterparts. A coordinated approach across health, education and research policy is essential to safeguarding the future workforce and ensuring the UK can continue to deliver the research, innovation and economic growth that the Government has rightly identified as national priorities.”
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Notes to editors
The BMA is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. A leading voice advocating for outstanding health care and a healthy population. An association providing members with excellent individual services and support throughout their lives.