Plaid Cymru have called for a medical campus in north Wales since at least 2001, with Plaid Cymru
assembly member and medical doctor,
Dai Lloyd saying “We have had only one medical school, although a second campus in Swansea is becoming a reality. Our policy is to have a campus in Bangor too. We don't produce enough doctors. Ireland, with the same population, has six medical schools, and Scotland has five".
Initial rejection In July 2017, the Welsh Labour government rejected calls for a North Wales medical school. Plaid Cymru assembly member
Siân Gwenllian referred to this as a "betrayal of the people of Bangor, Arfon and all of the North". Professor Dean Williams of Bangor University said in May 2017 that the university was ready to establish a new medical school for the North. Instead the
Welsh health secretary,
Vaughan Gething said "A plan of education and training in north Wales through closer collaboration between Cardiff, Swansea and Bangor universities can ensure the increase in opportunities for medical education in north Wales." In response, Gwenllian said, "The need for a medical school in Bangor is clear, and the Welsh Government itself has recognised this [...] and tried to bury this blow to medical students and patients". In September 2017 Plaid Cymru called for 40 medical student to be trained in North Wales if Bangor University collaborated with medical schools in the south.
Rhun ap Iorwerth said that Plaid Cymru's ultimate goal was to form an independent medical school in Bangor, "Our proposals give us a way forward to achieving the goal of providing strong and sustainable hospital services across north Wales."
Existing plans In 2020 the Welsh government had formed a research group to assess the feasibility of an independent medical school based at Bangor University. The concept of a medical school for North Wales received support from all major parties during the
2021 Senedd election. In May 2021, Jo Whitehead, CEO of
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board stated that the Board could support a new Medical and Health Sciences School in North Wales by 2025. Welsh Health Minister
Vaughan Gething called a task and finish group together to assess whether a North Wales Medical School is “practical and achievable”. The group, chaired by Professor
Elizabeth Treasure assessed the proposal from Autumn 2020 .
Siân Gwenllian of Plaid Cymru added, "I and Plaid Cymru have been campaigning on this issue for years, and it was an integral part of my re-election campaign in the Senedd elections." In 2017 Plaid Cymru secured a commitment from the previous Government to a budget to commence and now nearly 40 prospective doctors have been receiving part of their training at Bangor." Welsh Health Minister
Eluned Morgan stated in December 2022 that "Intake numbers for the Bangor medical school have been approved, and funding has also been approved for 140 students per year once the school reaches optimum capacity." Morgan added that a letter “of assurance was sent to General Medical Council colleagues in November" which would "allow Bangor University to continue their forward momentum through the accreditation process." Morgan also added on the prospect of ensuring that a proportion of students are
Welsh speaking, "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." The first cohort of 17 C21 North Wales medical students to have completed their studies entirely in North Wales graduated from Cardiff University in July 2023, and a second cohort of 12 students graduated in July 2024.
Confirmation From September 2024, Bangor University has offered its own independent Medicine programme with the support of the Welsh Government, subject to
GMC approval and quality monitoring processes. Bangor University provides both a 5-year school entry course and a 4-year graduate entry course. Cardiff University is acting as the contingency guarantor as required by the GMC. Students will be able to study most of the elements of the course in Welsh as well as in English. The new North Wales Medical School will largely follow the current Cardiff University C21 North Wales programme, adapted to meet the learning opportunities and needs of the mixed rural and urban areas in the region, embracing the Welsh language and local culture. In August 2023, the
General Medical Council confirmed the school was on target to meet its quality standards. The university admitted 80 medical students in its September 2024 intake.
Purpose A primary goal of the establishment of the medical school is to address the recruitment of medical staff in North Wales. The number of general practitioners (GP) has increased slightly over Wales but attracting doctors to work in North Wales has traditionally been more of a challenge. Currently, there are more than 28 vacant full-time GP posts which are being filled by locum staff. == Secondary school engagement in North Wales ==