Sinn Féin Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney speaking following a meeting with party colleague Maeve McLaughlin and members of the Western Health & Social Care Trust in relation to a medical school for Derry and the Northwest region. 
The Foyle MLA said “We welcome the news that there is progression in terms of provision for a Medical School and that the University have a steering group to take this forward.
This will be important in terms of University expansion and in bringing down the cost of locums which was £16m this year.
Derry is ideally placed for a Graduate Entry Medical School as we have a state of the art hospital, including the new cancer centre, on our doorstep in Altnagelvin.
Magee also has already established a reputation for medical innovation through its relationship with C-TRIC and the opportunities presented with the roll out of the North West Health Innovation Corridor.
There is a clear lack of doctors in the Western Trust area and across the North generally and a new medical school would help address that and reduce locum costs.
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