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New Leicester Warwick Joint Medical School Announced

Professor Sir Brian Follett, Dr Ken Edwards, and Professor Bob Burgess
Professor Sir Brian Follett,
Dr Ken Edwards,
and Professor Bob Burgess
Originally Published 22 June 1999
MASSIVE MEDICAL BOOST FOR MIDLANDS
UK's first fast track medical degree wins approval

Today's Government go-ahead for the creation of a major new Joint Medical School in the Midlands links two leading universities - Leicester and Warwick - in an innovative partnership that will educate more then 1300 medical students each year, and enhance significantly the standard of health care available to patients in Coventry, Warwickshire and Leicestershire.

In today's announcement the Government has given Leicester and Warwick the largest number of new medical students awarded to any university: an extra intake of 113 students each year that will grow to a population of 450 in four years. These will join the existing 850 students at the Leicester Medical School where the annual intake is 175.

Local health care, especially in Coventry and Warwickshire, will significantly benefit, (from the new provision at the University of Warwick), as a large proportion of newly qualifying doctors take up posts close to where they are educated. The combined, complementary research strengths of Leicester and Warwick Universities will also attract some of the country’s leading medical researchers.

Of the 1300 students in the new Joint Medical School, the 450 at Warwick will follow the UK’s first ‘fast-track’ medical curriculum to be approved by the General Medical Council, - available to graduate-entry students only. The new students, all graduates in the life sciences, will study an accelerated four-year medical degree which will greatly help the national demand for more doctors.

The announcement is part of a Government programme which today has allocated an extra intake of 684 medical student places throughout the country. The Leicester-Warwick proposal was one of 20 bids made to the Government and has received 17% of all the new medical places created.

Dr Kenneth Edwards, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester said:

"This is wonderful news. The two universities will work closely together to ensure that the Joint Medical School enhances medical teaching, research and service to the local communities."


Professor Sir Brian Follett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick said:-

"This is terrific news creating, almost overnight, an internationally sized and ranked medical school which will directly benefit the people of Coventry, Warwickshire and Leicestershire. It has been our aim for 25 years to bring a medical school to Warwick."

Professor Frank Harris, Dean of the New Joint Medical School said:

"This is a formal and genuine alliance. The two universities bring complementary strengths to the Joint Medical School which will generate synergy in teaching and research."


The new Joint Medical School has received strong support from all the regional arms of the local NHS, the local Health Authorities, and the main Hospital Trusts in which the new students will train - at Leicester, and the Walsgrave Hospitals NHS Trust in Coventry.

For further details contact:


Peter Dunn, Press Officer,
University of Warwick
Tel: 024 76 523708
email: puapjd@warwick.ac.uk


Ather Mirza,
Director, Press Office,
University of Leicester,
Tel: 0116 252 3335
email: am1m@admin.le.ac.uk