SINN Féin Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney has held a meeting with party colleague Maeve McLaughlin and members of the Western Health & Social Care Trust in relation to a medical school for Derry and the Northwest region.
The Foyle MLA said “We welcome the news that there is progression in terms of provision for a Medical School and that the University have a steering group to take this forward.
“This will be important in terms of University expansion and in bringing down the cost of locums which was £16m this year.
“Derry is ideally placed for a Graduate Entry Medical School as we have a state of the art hospital, including the new cancer centre, on our doorstep in Altnagelvin.
“Magee also has already established a reputation for medical innovation through its relationship with C-TRIC and the opportunities presented with the roll out of the North West Health Innovation Corridor.
“There is a clear lack of doctors in the Western Trust area and across the North generally and a new medical school would help address that and reduce locum costs,” added the Foyle MLA.
