Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport – in the Senedd at 3:05 pm on 13 July 2016.
Thank you very much. Almost half of all the doctors on the Llŷn peninsula are over 55 years old, and a large number of them are expected to retire over the next five years, which will lead to a real crisis in the area. There is some evidence that doctors tend to remain where they were trained. So, in order to tackle this shortage of doctors there is a strong argument, as you have mentioned, for having an all-Wales long-term plan to increase the number of medical training places. But, in addition to that, there is also a strong argument for the creation of a new medical school in Bangor so that we can expand provision across Wales, and particularly in north Wales. The First Minister has agreed in this Chamber recently that we need to consider drawing up a business plan for a medical school for north Wales and, indeed, there is a great deal of support from stakeholders within the health sector and the HE sector for this. There is a particular opportunity to create a medical school that can specialise in providing medical services in rural areas. So, Cabinet Secretary, will you commit today to participating in full in the process of creating a medical school in Bangor?