Ang
lia Ruskin’s brand new £20 million School of Medicine in Chelmsford has welcomed it’s first students.
1 of 5 medical schools across the country
The facility in Chelmsford is one of five new medical schools across the country, that were announced back in March as part of government plans to train an additional 1,500 doctors in the NHS by 2020.
Student from Loughton “it’s a world changing opportunity… well our world… purely because everybody that lives in Essex, there’s no local school for us to come to to practice medicine, so it’s a great opportunity.”
Student from Grays added “It’s really good because Essex really needs a good, vibrant medical school. I think it’s good that it could bring future doctors to Essex.”
Government’s funding for medical schools
The Government has announced funding for two new medical schools in the South East Local Enterprise Partnership area in a bid to ensure there are enough doctors and staff in places where it has been traditionally difficult to recruit NHS staff.
New medical schools in Canterbury and Chelmsford in September were announced by then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt as part of a nationwide initiative on March 20th 2018.
In Canterbury the school will be a joint venture between the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University, while the Chelmsford site will be at Anglia Ruskin University.
Wider impact for the area
Christian Brodie, Chairman of SELEP, said: “In addition to the long-term support for our hard-pressed NHS hospitals and institutions, this announcement will bring wider benefits for the medical and life sciences sector across the area.
“Companies in these important high-value sectors will be naturally drawn to areas with a growing pool of talent armed with the relevant and necessary skills to help drive research and development.
“The new medical schools in Canterbury and Chelmsford will make a significant contribution to the wider economy of the south east.”
Original article source: heart.co.uk