Opening of North Wales Clinical School

31 January 2007

The North Wales Clinical School’s new facilities at NEWI (North East Wales Institute of Higher Education) were officially opened today (Wednesday 31st January) by Dr Tony Jewell, Chief Medical Officer for Wales.

The North Wales Clinical School is a £12.5 million Welsh Assembly Government backed initiative which brings together the Wales College of Medicine at Cardiff University, North East Wales, North West Wales and Conwy and Denbighshire NHS Trusts, NEWI, University of Wales, Bangor and primary care deliveries in North Wales. The school is established for the clinical training of doctors in Wales and this investment has enhanced residential, teaching and library facilities for these students. This base at NEWI which has been funded from this investment will give student doctors the opportunity to contribute to the continuing development of health across the North Wales region.

The facilities are based in NEWI’s Crispin Lane building on the Plas Coch Campus. The opening ceremony started with a welcome speech by Professor Michael Scott, Principal and Chief Executive of NEWI; followed by a short speech covering the benefits of the North Wales Clinical School to the communities of North Wales by Dr Alex Carson, Head of the School of Health, Social Care and Sport & Exercise Sciences at NEWI; then Dr Tony Jewell gave a short speech and cut the opening ribbon.

Speaking at the event Professor Michael Scott and Dr Alex Carson stated the importance of partnerships between higher education institutions and the NHS to delivering quality medical teaching and learning and improving health care. Dr Tony Jewell reinforced these points “as Chief Medical Officer for Wales I have taken a great interest in the development of the North Wales Clinical School” he said. “It is important that medical training is integrated to give trainee doctors a wide experience across Wales and to take research and training to the bedside.”

All the invited guests, which included the Mayor of Wrexham, Councillor George D James, then received a tour of the facilities and had a chance to meet some of the student doctors who will benefit from the opening of this site.