‘Landmark’ NHS Fife agreement will keep medical students in Fife

For years, St Andrews medical students had to leave Fife to undertake their clinical training elsewhere in the UK, under the supervision of other medical schools.

Now, students choosing to study medicine at Scotland’s top university will be able to do all their clinical training and complete their primary medical qualification in Fife.

The Memorandum of Understanding between the health board and school has finally come to fruition three years after the Scottish Parliament decided to remove a historic prohibition preventing St Andrews University from awarding its own medical qualifications.

Earlier this month, the University finally secured approval for a brand new five-year medical degree.

As part of the new partnership, University of St Andrews medical students will undertake their medical training with clinical teams across NHS Fife in a range of healthcare settings, including a network of healthcare innovation hubs within Fife’s community hospitals. The development of the medical programme will also see Fife move towards its goal of being recognised with teaching board status.

In addition to improving clinical teaching and research, the new partnership will also see NHS Fife work collaboratively with the University across a range of other areas, including environmental sustainability, the mutual use of estates and buildings, and a joint effort to help reduce ill-health and inequality within our local population.

“NHS Fife places great value in its long-standing relationship with the University of St Andrews and today’s signing marks a new chapter, providing considerable benefits for both institutions, our staff and for medical students,” NHS Fife Chief Executive, Carol Potter said.

“NHS Fife is proud of its reputation as one of the country’s most innovative health boards and the status of teaching hospital will also help us to retain, train and recruit the next generation of doctors, at a time when medical recruitment is more competitive than ever before.”

The partnership was described as “innovative” by NHS Fife Board members on Tuesday morning.

Ms Potter called it a “a huge milestone” for the health board, and NHS Fife chair Pat Kilpatrick said it’s a “landmark” to have teaching hospital status within Fife.

NHS Fife Medical Director, Dr Christopher McKenna, added: “Our new partnership is hugely exciting and builds upon the collaborative relationship developed over a number of years, and across a broad range of projects and initiatives.”

He continued: “NHS Fife prides itself on fostering innovation and pushing the boundaries to continually enhance the quality of care and treatment we provide for patients. Our new formal partnership, alongside the newly developed primary medical qualification programme, provides greater research opportunities, enhances clinical education, and helps provide the future medical workforce with an excellent grounding for their future practice.”

St Andrews, Professor David Crossman, Dean of Medicine at the University was likewise enthusiastic. In a press release, he said that St Andrews is “once again at the forefront of clinical medicine teaching, reaffirming our position as one of the country’s top medical schools.”

“Our modern clinical School, coupled with our unique community-focused degree programme places us among the very best and most innovative in the UK,” Mr Crossman continued.

“I am also delighted to continue to grow and develop our partnership with both NHS Fife and NHS Education Scotland and continue to offer the full spectrum of education and training to medical professionals from undergraduate level and beyond. We value very highly our partnership with the NHS, with many of our academics having dual roles in not only teaching but in practice throughout Fife whether at the Victoria Hospital, the community hospitals or in community practices.”