Statement from the General Medical Council regarding Swansea University College of Medicine

Following a series of visits from the GMC, Swansea University College of Medicine has decided to defer the start of the third year of its new medical degree.

Students now in the second year at Swansea will transfer to Cardiff University to complete their course - an arrangement that has existed since 2004.  
 
Commenting on the decision, Niall Dickson, the Chief Executive of the General Medical Council, said:
 
“The GMC sets and monitors the standards of medical education and training and has worked closely with Swansea Medical School as it has developed its new programme.
 
“We made a detailed assessment and told Swansea Medical School that, in our view, the school was not ready to proceed with Year 3 of its curriculum.  Swansea Medical School has agreed to follow this approach and as a result, the current Year 2 students will transfer to Cardiff at the end of August to complete their degrees, as was the arrangement in previous years.

“We are confident in the quality of Years 1 and 2 of the Swansea course and that the students at Swansea have received a good education thus far. We have also been impressed by the commitment of their clinical teachers. But we have identified a number of significant concerns with the development of the 3rd year of the programme which was due to begin in at the end of August, including the way in which students were to be assessed.

“We believe that, provided progress is maintained, this additional time will enable Swansea to complete further preparatory work needed to launch Year 3 of the new course from 2012, so that the current first year students would be able to complete their degrees in Swansea.

“We are very encouraged by the commitment and the close collaboration between Swansea and Cardiff medical schools, and the support being given by the Welsh Assembly Government.  All parties have made it clear that everything possible will be done to support the Swansea students in what will inevitably be an anxious and challenging time.

“The GMC is committed to ensuring that the medical students at Swansea receive the education and training they need to become good doctors. We have met with the students to explain how and why we reached our view, and to set out how we will continue to oversee their education to ensure it is of a high standard.”
 
Notes to Editors:

For further information please contact the Media Relations Office on 020 7189 5454, out of hours 020 7189 5444/ 07920 461497, email press@gmc-uk.org, website www.gmc-uk.org.

The General Medical Council registers and licenses doctors to practise medicine in the UK. Our purpose is summed up in the phrase: Regulating doctors, Ensuring Good Medical Practice.

The law gives us four main functions:

• keeping up-to-date registers of qualified doctors
• fostering good medical practice
• promoting high standards of medical education and training
• dealing firmly and fairly with doctors whose fitness to practise is in doubt