University of Hertfordshire brings forward plans to open county’s first medical school as new NHS reforms revealed

15 November 2024

The University of Hertfordshire has advised it will be opening the county's first medical school in September 2026 - a year earlier than originally proposed - as the government announced tough new NHS reforms earlier this week.

The new medical school, to be known as 'Hertfordshire Medical School', will support reforms announced by Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, on Wednesday 13 November, to improve patient experience and care by helping to meet the region's and wider UK's urgent need for more medical and healthcare professionals.

It was originally proposed to open to its first cohort of medical students in 2027. However, in response to NHS need and after working closely with key NHS partners to pass crucial early stages in the General Medical Council's (GMC) strict, multi-stage application process, the University has confirmed its commitment to opening earlier to the benefit of all.

University of Hertfordshire Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mairi Watson, said:

"We are delighted to be able to bring our opening date for the new Hertfordshire Medical School forward to September 2026 at a time when demand could not be greater or more desperately needed.

"Our NHS is in transition, and it's long been known that universities are going to be key in delivering the solution. Our Medical School proposal aligns with proposed reforms aimed getting the NHS back on its feet, fixing the foundations and delivering a health service fit for the future. It also aligns with many of the previous government's measures put forward in their NHS Workforce Plan. Ultimately, it will address critical medical professional shortfalls to the benefit of local communities and beyond and train global professionals able to work anywhere in the world.

"The development is part of our ongoing commitment to advancing health, medicine and life sciences in the county and beyond and I am thrilled we are making such strong steps to make this important aspiration a reality."

The first of its kind in Hertfordshire, the education and training provided within the Hertfordshire Medical School will build on the University's existing and extensive portfolio of healthcare education, facilities and specialist staff and partners. It will primarily train highly skilled doctors through a five-year, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree.

Training up to 70 students a year, recruitment has already started for the first cohort of students, who will be international only, to join Herts in September 2026. The University is then working with partners to build a case for NHS funding for home students, in line with government time frames.

Part of the University's School of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, the Hertfordshire Medical School will be located in its own, specially refurbished building on the University's College Lane campus, to provide a dedicated space for students studying medicine.

Some of the programme will also be taught in the University's brand new multi-million-pound Health building - on track to open in September 2027 - alongside nurses, midwifes, radiographers, paramedics, pharmacists, psychologists and nutritionists - to ensure a more integrated student experience.

The new Medical School is expected to bring substantial benefits and improvements to patient care across Hertfordshire, where the latest findings show there are currently 0.5 GPs for every 1000 patients - compared to approximately 2.8 GPs nationally. It would also open up significant new research opportunities and funding within medical and life sciences and help to support increasing demand to study medicine in the East of England, which has risen to 47% in the last five years.

Currently the number one university in the region for social mobility, the University of Hertfordshire has further pledged to make diversity and widening access to the profession a priority, in line with their values and with recent calls from the Royal College of Physicians to broaden participation in medicine.

Professor Zoe Aslanpour, Dean of the Hertfordshire Medical School at the University of Hertfordshire, said:

"With a longstanding reputation in medical sciences, ranked in the top 10% nationally within the latest National Student Survey, and a champion of social mobility, the University's existing excellence in healthcare education, research, widening access and socio-economic impact will be bolstered by the Hertfordshire Medical School.

"It will allow us to continue to drive productivity and innovation in the health economy, progress our medical research capacity, further strengthen key partnerships with our local NHS trusts and Integrated Care Boards and support our commitment to improving equality, diversity and inclusion within the sector."

Delivered with support from City St George's, University of London, Herts' new MBBS degree will be taught through a combination of lectures, small group sessions, and clinical teaching. A key highlight of the course will be the opportunity to engage with patients and participate in local and regional clinical placements as early as the first year.

The bid is further supported by a number of key local NHS partners, including Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, East and North Herts NHS Trust, Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, West Herts NHS Trust, and up to 20 primary care networks comprising local GP practices.

Professor Rachel Allen, Interim Executive Dean for the St George's School of Health and Medical Sciences (now part of City St George's, University of London), said:

"As a newly merged institution with a shared commitment to education excellence in support of practice and the professions, we are delighted to support the University of Hertfordshire's new MBBS degree and help meet urgent local, regional and national needs.

"We look forward to working together with the University of Hertfordshire, sharing our wealth of experience and expertise in medical education to provide the best possible support to the future healthcare workforce." The bid is further supported by a number of key local NHS partners, including Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, East and North Herts NHS Trust, Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, West Herts NHS Trust, and up to 20 primary care networks comprising local GP practices.

The University's plan to open the county's first Medical School coincides with the Wes Streeting's announcement today at the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool of a "tough package" of NHS reforms that includes a new league table of NHS providers, support teams for struggling hospitals, greater freedom over funding for high performing providers and the replacement of persistently failing managers.

It also follows the previous government's announcement of its comprehensive NHS Long Term Workforce Plan to futureproof the NHS and address significant issues such as staff shortfalls, record patient waiting times, and an increasing ageing population.

The plan, supported by an initial £2.4 billion cash injection, outlines ambitions to recruit more than 300,000 new staff - including 60,000 doctors - over the next 15 years; to retain an extra 130,000 healthcare workers; to vastly expand healthcare apprenticeships; and to double the number of medical school places.

Find out more about the new Hertfordshire Medical School.

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