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Whatever the benefits and risks of transferring funding for initial education in nursing to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, it is not the case that in medicine the market decides ("Concern at bid to move nurse education cash to Hefce", January 12).

Initial medical education is Hefce-funded, but student numbers are set by the Medical Workforce Standing Advisory Committee. Numbers rose under the Labour Government's modernisation agenda, leading to the creation of several medical schools. It is possible to have a planned system without the short-termism that has affected National Health Service-funded programmes.

Liz Meerabeau.
Greenwich University