Siân Gwenllian MS Working for the people of Arfon

Bangor's Medical School is already making a difference

Since being elected to the Senedd in 2016, Siân Gwenllian has campaigned for a Medical School to train doctors in her constituency of Arfon. According to the MS, the school in Bangor is already making a difference, with two of her constituents returning to the area to study.

Siân Gwenllian said:

“In a leaflet distributed in my name in 2016 I made a commitment to campaign for the training of doctors and health workers in Bangor. The exact words were: ‘I would fight for a local Medical School, to train local young people to be doctors and other health workers who can work in our local hospitals and in our communities.’

“I’m immensely proud that commitment has been fulfilled and that today will see the official opening of the North Wales Medical School.

“Already we’re seeing the benefits of that school, and I have met many constituents who started their studies in Cardiff but who are coming home to complete their training in Bangor.

“Among them is Noa Hallam of y Felinheli and Llinos Haf Roberts of Deiniolen.

“They exemplify the arguments I was making for the Medical School all those years ago; that by establishing a Medical School in Bangor we could train doctors that would stay within the local health service, therefore improving access for local people.

“Also, by offering medical education at Bangor, it means we’re losing less of our young people to other universities and cities such as Cardiff.”

Llinos Haf Roberts comes from Deiniolen, and is currently on placement in the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board area. She said:

"I started studying the Medicine course in Cardiff, but it's so nice to come back to north Wales to complete my studies.

"It’s important that students have the option to study locally - not everyone wants to move away.

"Also, the hope is that training doctors in Bangor will improve services in the north west. The area is a mix of rural and urban communities, and has very special needs. There is also the linguistic element, of course.

"By training doctors in Arfon we can create a workforce that understands the needs of the area properly."

Noa Hallam of y Felinheli echoes his fellow student’s comments:

"Offering courses such as medicine in Bangor will help slow down the 'brain drain' of young people from the north west to places like Cardiff.

"When it comes to creating viable communities, keeping young people in the area is important.

"But there is also plenty of evidence available that shows a good proportion of doctors stay in the area in which they trained.

“That is good news for the health service locally, and I hope that the opening of the Medical School in Bangor will lead to healthier communities in the area."