Top academics from York and Hull are joining forces in a bid to create a new "world class" medical school based in both cities.

If successful, the bid is expected to bring major benefits for patients in North Yorkshire.

The Universities of York and Hull today announced that they were jointly bidding to establish the new school as part of the planned expansion of medical training facilities in the new NHS National Plan.

Universities across the country were last month formally invited to bid for additional medical school places, and their initial submissions must be with the Higher Education Funding Council by December 1.

Those planning the York-Hull bid, which has been agreed following discussions with partners in the NHS in the region, should know whether it has found favour by next spring, and if they succeed the first medical students could arrive in 2003.

Representatives from local health authorities and trusts will be closely involved in the bid, whose success should bring "substantial clinical benefits" for the area around the two universities, which is the biggest population centre in England not currently served by a medical school.

The joint school is likely to have an initial intake of about 120 students, most of whom would be undergraduates following a five-year programme, though there would be some postgraduates in medical science disciplines following an accelerated four-year course.

No plans have been finalised, but it is possible that the students could move between the campuses for different parts of their courses.

Both universities have strong reputations for their work in health and medical science, including nurse education.

York has one of the largest group of health services researchers in the world and contributes to national policy on NHS research and development, evidence-based medicine, clinical governance and clinical outcomes.

It also has a strong reputation in science, with particular specialisms in cancer research, neurosciences and tissue repair.

Hull has a well-established post-graduate school of medicine, which already has 12 professors and over 80 staff, making it the largest post-graduate school in England.

York University vice-chancellor Professor Ron Cooke said: "York has established in recent years an extremely strong research and teaching base in health care and related sciences.

"It is now an opportune moment to explore the possibility of creating a medical school, a development which would benefit the region and reflect the strengths of the two universities.

"In many ways York's expertise is complementary to that of Hull, and together we hope to create a world class medical school."

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