The recently-established Three Counties Medical School at the University of Worcester will benefit from a significant uplift in its facilities following a £2 million government grant. In December 2021, Universities Minister Michelle Donelan announced that the University was successful in their bid to the Office for Students as they allocated funds as part of the 2021/22 Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) capital funding.
The school received its final approval in autumn last year, and is currently open to applicants for its first potential students, who will be due to start in September 2022.
The project funding will support the early construction phase of a major new health teaching building. Once completed, the building will include teaching rooms, consultation simulation spaces, and anatomy facilities.
The project funding will also enable the refurbishment of existing clinical simulation facilities, the purchase of new simulation models/mannequins, and the development of the audio-visual function to improve blended learning approaches. These developments will provide for notable growth in numbers on allied health courses, and help to meet the workforce needs of NHS Trusts.
Welcoming the news, Worcester MP Robin Walker said:
“I was pleased to support the University throughout the process of establishing the Three Counties Medical School. Its successful application was a vote of confidence by the General Medical Council, both in our great University, and the potential our area has to train the healthcare workforce of the future.
“In September this year we will welcome the doctors of the future to the city as they begin their training journeys. This funding from central government will ensure that those students will have access to the best quality, most up to date facilities.
Universities Minister Michelle Donelan said:
‘We want an education sector fit for the 21st Century, to drive our country’s growth and to support individuals to reskill and upskill with flexible learning opportunities that match the flexibility of modern careers.
‘The capital projects being delivered by the University of Worcester will directly help us achieve these ambitions and support Government’s priority to Build Back Better by supporting education and employment with increased opportunities across the country.
‘As we move forward from the pandemic, we will continue to work with the higher education sector and the Office for Students in our transformation efforts towards a flexible education system that delivers for students, society and the economy.’
The Heart of Worcester College received a capital grant of £30,000.