About NWCS

Why was the North Wales Clinical School set up?

The North Wales Clinical School was set up in 2004, following a bid for funding from the Welsh Assembly Government which was approved on 12th May of that year. The aim was to expand the academic presence that existed in North Wales and to facilitate joint working between senior clinical research workers so as to provide an excellent and coherent academic backdrop against which medical education may be carried out.

How is the NWCS helping to improve healthcare across North Wales?

The NWCS focuses on excellence in health sciences research, i.e. research aimed directly at improving healthcare. It has enabled researchers from across North Wales to work together to carry out nationally renowned research projects, involving the communities in the region. This research translates into an improvement in the quality of medical practice in North Wales, resulting in a better service for patients.

North Wales patients also benefit from the increased numbers of consultants funded by the extra money supplied for teaching. Senior medical staff are attracted to the area by the opportunities to develop their careers as a result of the Clinical School presence. These consultants are often leaders in their fields and hold combined clinical, research and teaching posts, which means top quality healthcare for patients in North Wales.

There is evidence to suggest that a high percentage of medical students remain in areas where they’ve trained. More medical students in North Wales will ultimately mean more doctors in North Wales.

Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr. Andy Hughes from Bangor strongly believes that bringing more student doctors to North Wales brings significant benefits to the region: “In my opinion this is why the North Wales Clinical School is so important. If we have more medical students, we will have more people opening their eyes to the fact that North Wales is a great place to live and work. This can only be good news for patients in the region.”