ONLY a fraction of medical students are from working-class backgrounds despite efforts to widen access, a new report by the Sutton Trust found today.

The research revealed that a handful of schools and colleges dominate medical school admissions, with applicants from private schools 1.5 times more likely to receive an offer than those from non-selective state schools.

The report, which analyses nearly 94,000 applicants to Britain’s medical schools between 2012 and 2022, found just 5 per cent of entrants came from the lowest socio-economic group, while 75 per cent were from wealthier backgrounds.