Sinn Fein Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney has held talks with the Western Health and Social Care Trust in relation to a medical school being set up in Derry.
Speaking after the meeting, which was also attended by the former chairperson of the Stormont Health Committee Maeve McLaughlin, Mr McCartney said the city was “ideally placed” for such a facilitiy.
Mr McCartney 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 £16 millon 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.”
Mr McCartney concluded: “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.”
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