Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:48 pm on 29 November 2017.
There is nothing contentious, of course, in calling for an increase in the level of training. Where there is disagreement between ourselves and the Government is on how we provide that new capacity. There is an ambition for us to develop Bangor University as a centre—or there is a general ambition, if truth be told, to develop Bangor University as a centre of excellence in the area of research and healthcare training. We have an ambition to develop the medical education centre too, and there are very real opportunities to train nurses as well as other health professionals and doctors. In saying that, I’m talking about training undergraduates from the first year, not simply securing placements for students from other colleges to spend more time in north Wales, although there is nothing wrong with that, of course. There is a lot to be said for ambition. There is a grave risk in allowing others to show ambition and not trying to catch up. Chester University is in the process of establishing a medical school. There is very real concern about the impact that that could have on Bangor University, unless a real effort is made to bring medical education there too.
I will conclude. The risk register of Betsi Cadwaladr states this: