What is the distribution programme?

The Addressing Health Inequalities: Distribution of Medical Specialty Training Programme is co-led by Health Education England (HEE) and NHS England (NHSE). The workstream commenced in 2017 and was endorsed by HEE’s board in 2020. Both the NHS Long Term Plan 2019 and the NHS Interim People Plan 2020 acknowledged this key piece of medical education reform work, including the Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report in 2021. This work has also been included in the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) mandate to HEE in 2022-23 and the HEE business plan.

The main purpose of the programme is to ensure that there is equitable distribution of HEE-funded (tariff) specialty training posts (and subsequent funding) which aligns with population need to help address health inequalities across England. Where doctors train can often equate to where they settle, and therefore the location of training posts can have a large impact on both the current service provided to patients but also supplying the workforce of the future.