18.05.2004
Dr Stephen Ladyman MP, Under Secretary of State for Community Care, yesterday (17 May 2004) paid a spontaneous visit to Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) to meet students and staff.
The visit opened with a tour of the School’s modern clinical skills teaching facilities where the minister was given a brief demonstration of the newly installed human patient simulator.
Professor Jon Cohen, Dean of the new medical school and Professor Sir David Watson, Vice Chancellor of the University of Brighton, welcomed the minister who was then introduced to eight first year medical students. Following a stimulating question and answer session, the students were joined by senior faculty and local clinicians including Dr Charles Turton, Medical Director at the Brighton and Sussex University Hospital Acute Trust and Dr Vanessa Lynch, GP.
Professor Cohen welcomed the ministerial visit, ”BSMS will help make a significant difference in the quality of healthcare both locally and nationally, so this type of recognition is always welcome.
We were delighted to host the visit and are pleased that Dr Ladyman had the opportunity to meet a wide range of students. Our modern, innovative curriculum that emphasises early contact with patients to help students develop communication skills at the same time as the basic science of medicine has clearly struck a chord - after just one year, places at Brighton and Sussex Medical School have proved to be among the most sought-after in the country with more than 14 applicants for every place on its programme.”
For more information contact Emma Kearney, Press Officer, on 020 7761 1788
- Labour’s Brighton Pavilion MP, David Lepper also attended the visit.
- Photos are available – contact Laura Paliotta at
- The Brighton and Sussex Medical School, which was opened by the Secretary of State for Health in October 2003, is an equal partnership between the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex, working together with the NHS throughout the south-east region. It is the first undergraduate medical school in the south-east outside of London.
- It is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Department of Health.
- The first intake of 135 students enrolled for the five-year programme in October 2003. Applications for entry in 2004 saw a rise of nearly 100% on the previous year: last year 997 people applied for one of the 128 places but this year that figure almost doubled to 1852 applications.
- BSMS plays a key part in the Government’s strategy of increasing the number of qualified doctors from the UK working in the NHS.
- The school prides itself on providing modern practice-focused, science-based teaching. To complement this, latest I.T. facilities make lectures interactive and cutting edge.
- BSMS works hard to create committed and compassionate practitioners with high quality interpersonal skills, as well as ethical standards for professional practice, grounded in multi-professional, team-focused work.
Contact: Marketing and Communications, University of Brighton, 01273 643022
