Students from first branch medical degree in the South begin clinical placements on Isle of Wight

Six students from the South of England's first branch medical degree have begun clinical placements in Ryde on the Isle of Wight. 

They are part of King's College London’s (KCL) Graduate Entry Medical Programme delivered at the University of Portsmouth, which launched in August last year to address the critical shortage of doctors in the region. 

The four-year course enrolled 54 students in 2024 and has expanded to 67 students at Portsmouth this year. They gain hands-on experience with patients from the very start of their training through placements embedded in local GP surgeries and community settings across Hampshire and now on the Isle of Wight. 

Upon completion, graduates will be awarded a KCL Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree (MBBS) and be equipped to work as doctors in the region and beyond. The programme was developed by the University of Portsmouth in partnership with local NHS Trust and Community Health Partners. 

The medical degree was set up in direct response to severe GP shortages in Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. The region’s hospitals have many workforce gaps, and it is one of the worst in the UK for a shortfall in the number of doctors per patient, with 2,500 people per GP.   

The course sits within the University of Portsmouth’s Faculty of Science and Health. Executive Dean for the faculty, Professor Richard Thelwell, said: “By embedding medical education within communities in places like the Isle of Wight, the degree aims not only to provide students with comprehensive clinical experience but also to encourage them to establish their careers locally, helping to secure the future GP workforce for areas where doctors are most needed.” 

For the six students travelling to Tower House Surgery in Ryde, the placement is an important opportunity to experience general practice in an island community with its own unique healthcare challenges. The GP tutor will be Dr Haf Aladin, who is a clinical teacher on the medical degree. 

Dr Jim Riches, GP co-lead for the Portsmouth branch of the medical degree, added: “The programme's expansion to include Isle of Wight placements demonstrates the shared commitment between the city and the island to train and retain doctors in underserved areas. With clinical placements starting from the first year of study, students gain valuable exposure to the variety and rewards of general practice early in their medical education.” 

The Portsmouth branch was one of three new branch medical schools to open with donated places, alongside Imperial College's branch at Cumbria University and the University of Nottingham's branch at the University of Lincoln. 

Meanwhile, Hovertravel which runs journeys to and from the island from Portsmouth, is helping to support the placements by providing discounted tickets for the medical students. 

Loretta Lale, Head of Marketing and Digital Development at Hovertravel, said: “We are deeply committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our local communities on both sides of the Solent. Whether it’s our urgent stretcher patient transfer service, discounted NHS travel fares, or supporting initiatives such as these University of Portsmouth medical placements, we recognise the vital role that connectivity plays in healthcare. By helping these future doctors travel easily and quickly between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, we’re proud to play a small part in strengthening the region’s medical workforce and ensuring better access to care for island residents in the years ahead.”