The plan has reached a critical stage of approval from the General Medical Council
The University of Portsmouth’s plan to open a new medical school in the city has taken a leap forward after reaching a critical stage of approval from the General Medical Council (GMC).
The University is planning for a new medical school aimed primarily at local people, with the goal of helping address the region’s shortfall in doctors.
The GMC gave the University’s plans stage three approval, bringing the University’s goal to open a medical school in September 2024 a step closer.
The University of Portsmouth remains subject to the GMC’s quality assurance processes, and is not entitled to award a UK medical degree until it is authorised to do so by the GMC Council.
Our dream as a University has always been to open doors to all those who can benefit from higher education. This core belief will have a huge impact on our new medical school. It will give those who may have believed a career in medicine was not for them the chance to become doctors and stay in the city or region to help address a frankly shocking shortfall of doctors locally.
The University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Galbraith CBE said: “A medical school in the city is a long-held vision for us. Our region is one of the country’s worst-served by GPs and the people living in our city and region suffer an indefensible inequality in accessing health care. We look forward to playing a big role in changing that.”
Leader of the bid, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Health, Professor Sherria Hoskins said she was thrilled to have gained the support of the GMC to proceed to the next stages of the GMC process that are required to recruit students to a new medical school.
She said: “Our aim is to establish an innovative medical school which serves our city and our region, including under-served rural and coastal areas such as Gosport and the Isle of Wight.
“We’ve been inundated with support from MPs, doctors, healthcare Trusts and patient groups.
“Our dream as a University has always been to open doors to all those who can benefit from higher education. This core belief will have a huge impact on our new medical school. It will give those who may have believed a career in medicine was not for them the chance to become doctors and stay in the city or region to help address a frankly shocking shortfall of doctors locally.”
A medical school in the city is a long-held vision for us. Our region is one of the country’s worst-served by GPs and the people living in our city and region suffer an indefensible inequality in accessing health care. We look forward to playing a big role in changing that.
The Portsmouth region is one of the worst regions in the UK for the number of doctors per patient, with 2,500 people per GP.
The University of Portsmouth medical school project has been in the pipeline for some years, with experts in launching medical schools, medical teaching and learning, and frontline medics working hard to build a case for a new school.
The University expects its first intake will be 50 UK students on a four-year graduate entry course, increasing to 80 students a year, with potential for more in the longer term.
The bid team has been working closely with the region’s four NHS Trusts, GP networks, patient groups and the public to help ensure any new medical school answers the region’s healthcare needs.
The GMC is responsible for protecting patients and improving medical education and practice in the UK. Awarding stage three approval to Portsmouth signals clearly the bid is of high quality