New Bangor medical school: funding approved for 140 students a year

Funding has been approved for 140 student a year at the proposed Bangor medical school.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan, confirmed the figures in the Senedd last week in response to a question from Plaid Cymru MS, Sian Gwenllian, whose Arfon constituency includes Bangor.

“Intake numbers for the Bangor medical school have been approved, and funding has also approved for 140 students per year once the school reaches optimum capacity,” she said.

The Minister added that a letter “of assurance was sent to General Medical Council colleagues in November”. This would, she said, “allow Bangor University to continue their forward momentum through the accreditation process.”

Welsh speakers

Sian Gwenllian MS, then asked: “Whether further work is ongoing to ensure that the necessary percentage of prospective students who have skills in the Welsh language will attend the medical school.”

Ms Gwenllian referred to the newly announced scheme ‘More than just words’, and would like to know, she said: “How the themes in that scheme are being implemented in Bangor, specifically, the theme with regard to planning for a bilingual workforce of tomorrow.”

Stating that she had recently met with Professor Mike Larvin (Executive Head of the Inter-Professional Medical and Health and Sciences School at Bangor University), the Health Minister replied:

“We are highly aware that we do need to be cognisant of how much recruitment there will be in terms of the numbers that are Welsh speaking … I know that a particular focus has been placed on that, with work currently being done in that area. So, I’m pleased to say that that is something that they are taking seriously.”