The Medical Faculty at the University of Glasgow is to complete the training of half of student doctors from St Andrews University.

Under plans announced by the Scottish Executive, Glasgow will give 50 of the students their final three years training before graduation.

St Andrews has sent its medical students to Manchester for clinical training for the last thirty years. In the near future, 100 will complete clinical training at the other four Scottish medical schools.

And Glasgow is to educate the largest proportion of them.

Professor David Barlow, Executive Dean of Glasgow's Medical Faculty, said: "This is a fantastic vote of confidence for the teaching of medicine at Glasgow.

"The Review Group made a detailed assessment of the medical schools in Scotland and have entrusted Glasgow University with the task of providing clinical education for half of these medics, who previously would have had to complete their studies in Manchester.

"We look forward to welcoming these students to the city and providing the highest quality standard of teaching."

Edinburgh University will receive 30 students, while Dundee and Aberdeen will take 10 each.

Announcing the Executive's decision, Health Minister Andy Kerr said: "We are committed to securing the medical workforce of the future.

"I would like to thank the Board of Academic Medicine for their recommendations, agreed by all the Universities involved, for the distribution of these clinical placements.

"We have accepted the Board's view that the largest single number of places should go to Glasgow.

"This is good news for patients and public in Scotland, good news for the NHS and good news for the Universities who are being invited to extend the work they do in producing more excellent doctors, many of whom we hope will choose to pursue a career in NHS Scotland."

The announcement comes after a Review of Basic Medical Education in Scotland

The Executive will work with the universities and Board of Academic Medicine over the coming months to plan the detailed implementation timetable for the introduction of the new places.

Ends

For more information please contact Ray McHugh, Media Relations, University of Glasgow on 0141 330 3535 or email r.mchugh@admin.gla.ac.uk

Ray McHugh (r.mchugh@admin.gla.ac.uk)

Notes for Editors

The Faculty of Medicine, which consists of the Medical School, the Dental School, the Graduate School and the Division of Nursing and Health Care, is amongst the largest in the UK. It had its beginnings in the early 17th Century and is still expanding.

The most recent developments include the completion of the new British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre and the Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, both of which became operational in early 2006. Together with the Wolfson Medical School Building, opened in September 2002, they now complete the biomedical Triangle of Excellence on the University campus.

In responding to the Review of Basic Medical Education in Scotland last summer, the Executive accepted recommendation that St Andrews medical school be fully integrated within Scottish medical education. The Executive opted to retain 100 St Andrews students in Scotland.

In response to a request from the Executive and the Scottish Funding Councils, the Board for Academic Medicine established a Clinical Training Review Group to consider and provide authoritative advise on the options for implementing this recommendation.

The Review Group undertook formal, structured visits to each of Scotland?s four clinical medical schools in March/April 2006, to explore issues highlighted by the Executive and SFC as important in determining the distribution of the proposed new clinical places.

First published: 12 September 2006