A MULTI-million pound medical school at the University of Worcester has moved a step closer, but it is likely to be a few years before the major project comes to fruition.

The Worcester News first reported on the plans a year ago, and the university has now launched its formal application to the General Medical Council (GMC) for the creation of the school to serve the Three Counties including Worcestershire.

Currently the closest medical schools to the county are in Birmingham and Bristol, with both areas tending to be where most of the newly qualified doctors settle.

The university's Board of Governors unanimously approved the application at their mid-March meeting, following a year of preparations, including an independent audit. The final touches to the application are now underway before formal submission to the GMC by the end of March, where it will begin the standard in-depth scrutiny and accreditation process that always applies to applications for a new medical school.

This process normally takes at least two years.

During the preparatory work the six local trusts, including Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, showed support for the project, including providing placements for medical students. Medical practitioners in the Three Counties and surrounding areas also expressed desire to become involved.

Last year the Government announced plans for a significant expansion of doctors, with an extra 1,000 training places available across England from 2018.

The University of Worcester applied for 100 places for the new medical school in the national competition, with the initial results reported today. The round was oversubscribed, with applications for 2,400 places, and the university reports it missed out as "this opportunity came too early in the accreditation process for Worcester".

However, assuming that the national shortage of medical doctors will lead to the creation of more places in the next two to three years, the university expects Worcester to be in a "more stronger place to apply" providing the application for accreditation by the GMC is successful.

The official letter received by the university says: “The Government has indicated that the numbers allocated through this expansion process are intended to address current recognised shortages, so there remains scope for a further expansion of medical places to be agreed in order to meet future workforce planning need.

"We would therefore encourage you to be mindful of the potential for such policy development and to consider bidding again should further opportunities arise to apply for additional medical places.”

Professor David Green, University of Worcester's vice chancellor and chief executive, said: “Creating the Three Counties Medical School to serve the people of this region and beyond is a major investment.

"The accreditation process rightly takes several years. The university is fully committed to this development and is very confident that, together with our trust partners, we will be successful in the early 2020s.

"As well as working through the necessary scrutiny by the GMC, the university plans to increase its work in relevant research areas in which we are already very strong including bipolar disorder and dementia.

"We are also increasing our work in subjects allied to medicine, including nursing, where we enjoy an outstanding reputation for quality and innovation.

“We are very grateful for all of the support from the medical profession, health educators, trusts and sister universities that we have already received. Our concentration over the next period will be to work together to earn the necessary recognition from the GMC.

“There is a serious shortage of doctors in many rural areas as well as in the acute hospitals.

“The formal submission of our application to the GMC is a significant commitment for the university. More importantly, it is a potentially life-enhancing development for the people of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, a region which currently lacks a medical school and which is battling an ever-growing shortage of general practitioners and other highly trained physicians.”