§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when his implementation group will invite bids from(a) established medical schools, (b) new medical schools and (c) others for provision of 1,000 additional doctors' training places; and if he will make a statement; [66087]
(2) what are the criteria recommended by the joint Department of Health and Higher Education Funding Council for England implementation group, for awarding 1,000 additional medical school places to existing medical schools, new medical schools or new models for doctor training; and if he will make a statement. [66088]
477W
§ Mr. DenhamThe Joint Implementation Group, which has been established to oversee the allocation of universities of the English share of the increase in medical school places, wrote to all English Universities and their National Health Service partners on 8 January 1999, inviting them to submit proposals for the admission of the additional medical students in the years 2000 to 2005. It is open to universities to make proposals, whether or not they already have medical schools. Copies of the 8 January letter are available in the Library.
The invitation set out the objectives and criteria established by the Group, which will be used when considering universities' proposals. The objectives are:
To develop new doctors who are equipped to meet the challenge of changing health and health care needs of patients and populations into the first half of the 21st Century;To develop new doctors who are able to practise to a very high standard, through being able to appraise and use evidence, to become life-long learners, to maintain professional standards and to be effective team members and leaders;To develop new doctors who are committed to and skilled in promoting health, preventing ill health, diagnosing and treating injury and disease and caring for people with long term illness and disability;To develop new doctors who understand the value of partnership and communication, both with their patients, their colleagues, and with members of other professional groups;To provide a high quality educational experience in an environment in which evaluation and research are fostered and which gives value for money;To demonstrate an active commitment to the admission of students from a broad range of social and ethnic backgrounds, to reflect the patterns of populations which are served by the NHS;To ensure that the distribution and patterns of training of students effectively increase the home supply of doctors, and meet the needs of the populations which are served by the NHS;To enhance quality and value for money through collaboration between universities and partnership with the NHS.