Brussels, 05 Aug 2004
Eight new medical schools in the UK are to be given extra funding to strengthen research and innovation, announced the UK's Health Minister, Lord Warner, on 4 August.
Lord Warner explained that the extra one-off payment of 1.5 million GBP (2.3 million euro) is designed to set up state-of-the-art research facilities, attract the best scientists and generate new knowledge.
Thanks to this, he added, more research will be carried out in the key areas of genetics, diabetes and cancer.
'Investment in research saves lives,' said Lord Warner, 'and that is why it is vital that we make sure the NHS [National Health Service] is a research rich environment so that patients reap the benefits. This extra funding will mean that the NHS' future doctors can play their part in developing new treatments for tomorrow's patients.'
According to Professor John Tooke, Dean of the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, the extra funding will not only enable the medical schools to contribute to developing cutting edge therapies, it will also 'help encourage evidence based practice and ensure our medical students benefit from a questioning culture.'
'I am delighted that the government has recognised the important contribution medical schools make in generating new knowledge,' he added.
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