Magee Campus in Derry
Dr Tom Black, the BMA’s NI Council chair, told the Stormont health committee that the proposed medical school at Derry’s Magee college must be created urgently in order to provide care for an ageing population.
“A second medical school at Magee must be urgently actioned to improve the medical recruitment and retention, especially in general practice,” he said.
The school was listed as a priority in the New Decade, New Approach deal which restored power sharing.
Dr Black warned if the school was not built, people would have to be “bussed to the east of Northern Ireland to see a GP”.
“You’ll be seeing a nurse in Fermanagh and then hopefully a GP in Craigavon if you are lucky,” he said.
Dr Black said there will need to be a 50% increase in the number of consultants over the next 15 years due to people living longer and increased demand on the health service.
He said action also needed to be taken in order to retain those consultants already working in the health service.
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