Go-ahead for medical school

The universities of Brighton and Sussex were today due to confirm they have been given more than £28 million to establish an undergraduate medical college to train doctors.

The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton will become the school's main teaching hospital.

The news was hailed as good for Brighton and Hove, the rest of Sussex and the South East.

The city is seen as the ideal place for a medical school because both universities and the Royal Sussex are within a few miles of each other.

Thousands of patients will benefit as the development of the Brighton-Sussex Medical School will attract top consultants and doctors which will in turn lead to better health care.

Research has shown doctors are more likely to stay in the area where they have studied so the move will result in more highly-trained staff in local hospitals.

About 160 jobs will be created for academic and support staff.

Both universities are planning to expand their student accommodation at Falmer.

The funding for the college comes from the Department of Health and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. It will be spent on developing teaching facilities at the Royal Sussex and at the universities' campuses at Falmer.

MPs want the new school to admit students from a wide range of social backgrounds, ending the dominance of the upper classes.

University staff could even visit Sussex schools to try to identify potential doctors at an early age.

At present, around 75 per cent of medical students are from the upper classes.

Brighton Kemp Town MP Des Turner, who supported the bid in the Commons, said the announcement was "terrific news".

He said: "It is great for Brighton and Sussex because universities of their stature need medical school status.

"It will further encourage all the excellent medical research which already goes on there.

"It is also great news for all the people who need to use medical services. The best of the services provided by the Royal Sussex County hospital can only improve.

"There are other services which need to get better, and having a medical school will provide a great stimulus to achieve this.

The school's first 128 students are expected to start the five-year course in 2003.

The curriculum will be based on the successful medical college at Southampton University.

Students will spend the first two years mainly doing academic work at the universities with the final three years spent in the medical field.

Brighton University will provide the professional aspects of the course through its faculties of health, sciences and engineering while Sussex will provide the biological science teaching.

Students will mainly work at the Royal Sussex but as the course progresses they will be based at other hospitals in the county including the Princess Royal at Haywards Heath, Worthing Hospital and Eastbourne District General Hospital.

Students will also work with GPs and mental health teams and other primary care providers.

Stuart Welling, chief executive of Brighton Health Care NHS Trust, said the development of a medical school would have huge benefits.

He said: "It will be a very exciting opportunity and put Sussex very firmly on the map."

Sussex University registrar Neil Gershon said: "It will be good news for the city and the rest of Sussex.

"A new school means we will be able to develop our existing strengths and build on the excellent relationships we already have with the local NHS.

"Competition for medical school places is always extremely fierce and so we are only going to be taking in the best of the best.

"The idea of taking up a place in Sussex and the reputation of Brighton and Hove as being a great place to live will make a very attractive package."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "The presence of medical students in the local health community will improve recruitment and retention.

"It will also increase the numbers and quality of staff attracted to the area and enhance health services."