West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin’s lobbying for extra funded places at the county’s new medical school has paid off following an announcement today at Conservative Party Conference.

The Three Counties Medical School will offer at least 50 funded training places from next September, on top of the places funded by the local health system and non-domestic students.

The new medical school, based at Hylton Road, Worcester, has just welcomed its first cohort of students, and Harriett was given a VIP tour of the new facility in June by the University of Worcester’s Vice-Chancellor David Green.

Today’s announcement, by Health Secretary Stephen Barclay, builds on the NHS’s Long-Term Workforce Plan unveiled earlier this year, backed by £2.4billion in new funding.

Harriett commented:

“I toured the new facility, with Professor David Green and Dr Louise Stepien on the 75th anniversary of the NHS, as the Government committed a long term staffing plan.

“As the plan was confirmed I reached out to Government Ministers to say that the county medical school was immediately available to add extra teaching capacity and take on more students.

“At the time, these messages were well received, and I am pleased to see this announcement being made formally after private indications that this would be the case.

“It is essential that we train many more doctors and by having many more domestic students training in Worcester, I firmly hope that some of them will, after qualifying, chose to base themselves in wonderful Worcestershire"

Photo: Pictured in June at the new Three Counties Medical School Dr Louise Stepien, Harriett Baldwin MP and Professor David Green.