Today, the Secretary of State of Health and Social Care, Jeremy Hunt MP, has announced a new medical school for Kent and Medway and has been warmly welcomed by Kelly Tolhurst MP.
Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst has along with Kent MPs backed Kent and Medway’s call for a medical school and has regularly lobbied health ministers. Kelly hopes the new school will help address the retention issues with GPs across Rochester and Strood as well as ensure the continued quality of doctors and nurses at Medway Maritime Hospital.
The bid for a medical school was submitted by Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Kent in November and the announcement was made by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and Health Education England today.
On the announcement, Kelly said,
“Having worked on this campaign for some time I am delighted with this announcement that will help put Kent and Medway’s health sector back on the national map.
“Rochester and Strood has had strains recently when it comes to staffing NHS posts, particularly in GP practices, and the new school will go some way to addressing this, ensuring we can retain the best professionals for our health needs.
“I want Medway students to consider health and care as a career as our local universities will soon be offering an extensive range of courses, hopefully even with a campus in Medway itself.’
The school will be the county’s first ever medical school, bringing together the two universities and local healthcare organisations to offer a new model of patient-focused medical education. It will provide 107 undergraduate places annually offering medical education and research with early clinical placements within Community Education Provider Networks - covering GP surgeries, pharmacies, and local care centres - from year one.