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

Annex C: University of Glasgow

The University of Glasgow is supportive of Ministers' proposal to reinstate the ability of the University of St Andrews to hold qualifying examinations for or grant undergraduate degrees in medicine, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and certificates in midwifery and dentistry. As noted this legislative barrier does not apply to any other UK higher education institution, and it would be appropriate to remove it through the repeal of paragraph 17 of Schedule 6 to the Universities (Scotland) Act 1966.

However, our support for the change is conditional to the reassurance from Scottish Government that it has no intention of significantly changing the funding landscape for medical undergraduate places. As the consultation notes, any future changes in the funding for medical education might result from the 2019 Programme for Government commitment. The outcome of this commitment is not yet known. Providing that there is an assurance that these changes will not lead to major alterations in the pattern of existing funding for medical undergraduate education in Scotland, and therefore to the financial sustainability of the existing medical schools, then we would be supportive of the legislative change.

Any major change to the funding landscape in the area of undergraduate medical education could impact severely on the University of Glasgow and on the financial sustainability of existing Scottish Medical Schools, and would need to be considered.

We also note the reassurance that the University of St Andrews has no intentions of operating as a fully privately funded medical school, in line with the way that the provision of teaching for all other degree subjects is funded at the University.