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Graduate debt is increasing because of the introduction of variable tuition fees, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned.

This year's new medical student intake will leave university £8,000 deeper in debt than their predecessors, an increase of 12 per cent directly attributable to the new fees system, according to a survey by the association.

Variable tuition fees mean that students can pay up to £3,000 while under the old system this was only £1,175.

One suggestion by the BMA is that the NHS pays bursaries and makes other forms of financial support available.

It has also pledged to challenge the removal of fee-capping.

Chair of the BMAs Medical Students Committee Ian Noble said: "The government has said it wants to widen access to medical education yet our research shows variable top-up fees are making the situation worse not better."

Meanwhile, health minister Ben Bradshaw recently announced plans to reduce the numbers of overseas junior doctors training in the UK amid worries about jobs for British medical graduates, the Guardian reported.

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