A NEW medical school designed to train the next generation of doctors in Worcestershire will not open this year.

The University of Worcester announced the new Three Counties Medical School, which had been due to welcome its first students this September, would not be opening until the following year.

This, it said, was so more places for students could be secured.

Vice-chancellor Professor David Green said postponing would allow the university to secure more places and financial support.

He said: "We are deeply committed to creating a first-class medical school to serve the people of the Three Counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire and beyond for many, many years to come.

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"Postponing will enable us to secure the funded places or alternative financial support which will be needed to ensure GMC concerns about long-term recruitment sustainability are met.

"At present, thanks to local charitable and NHS financial support we have funding for an initial pioneer cohort of twenty UK students.

"Postponing will also enable us to be very well advanced in the development of curriculum materials and assessments across the entire programme.

"Staff colleagues who have recently joined the University will have the time to become fully embedded in the School.

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"The new building for Health and Medicine will also be fully open.”

The new school is being built in what was the old Worcester News office in Hylton Road and is intended to offset the shortage of GPs in the region.

A University statement said the postponement would allow it to deal with issues securing the right number of places and financial support needed to properly recruit enough doctors.

It said: "Postponing the opening of the Three Counties Medical School will allow the University to redouble its campaign to persuade HM Government to release funded places so that the School can make its full contribution to remedying the acute shortage of doctors in the region.

When complete, the new building will include a specialised anatomy room with consultation rooms and bespoke rooms for clinical examinations.

The Worcester News has contacted NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire for more information.