South Scotland MSP Emma Harper has contacted Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who is also the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, to make the case for establishing a new medical school in Dumfries and Galloway.
The move comes after the inclusion in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Scotland 2019-20 of a commitment to develop proposals for a new medical school in Scotland.
And former nurse Ms Harper believes the right site is in this region.
Her call also comes on the back of representations made to her from members of the Crichton Campus Leadership Group and from her work as Deputy Convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee where she has been pursuing issues relating to training, education and recruitment of GPs and other health professionals – especially to Dumfries and Galloway.
The MSP also believes establishing a new medical school locally would be an opportunity for the area to receive much needed capital, skills and educational investment.
She said: “I have called on the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to hear why Dumfries and Galloway is the ideal location for Scotland’s new medical school to be established.
“I have set out the core reasons why key influencers, and myself, consider that the Crichton Campus is the ideal site for a new medical school – particularly because there are unique challenges and excellent potential opportunities which our region offers.
“I’d encourage people to take a look at the detail within my letter, which will be available on my social media pages.”
