University of St. Andrews - degrees and licenses in medicine and dentistry: consultation analysis

Annex P: University and College Union Scotland

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this consultation and for the helpful background you provided during the consultation period.

The University and College Union (UCU) is the largest trade union in the post-16 education sector in the UK, representing over 120,000 academic and related members across the UK, and is the largest union in the higher education sector in Scotland.

The consultation document asked whether we agree that the Scottish Ministers should seek the Parliament's approval to repeal paragraph 17 of Schedule 6 to the Universities (Scotland) Act 1966 and therefore reinstate the ability of the University of St Andrews to hold qualifying examinations and award degrees in medicine and midwifery, as well as degrees and licences in dentistry.

We have shared the consultation with UCU branches in Scotland and, having considered the lack of contrary views to what is being proposed, UCU Scotland is content with the proposal that the restriction on St Andrews University be lifted but that there should be, insofar as this can be guaranteed, no future detriment from that decision to other institutions running courses in the areas of medicine, midwifery and dentistry.