Ulster University plan for 500 students at Magee College in Derry a ‘gamechanger’

Derry City & Strabane District Alliance Councillor Rachael Ferguson said the plans were good news in all ways for the North West.

The proposed establishment of a Medical School at Magee, the City Deal and the presence of C-TRIC in the city were influential in the selection of Derry as the location.

Five years ago UU proposed relocating the School of Health Sciences from the moribund Jordanstown campus to Coleraine. That’s all changed now and a fresh options appraisal completed after a public engagement process, states: “The Magee campus will be the location of both the Graduate Entry Medical School and a new Paramedic degree (under approval).

“It is also home for the delivery of undergraduate nursing. Such a mix of disciplines creates the opportunity not only for an enriched student experience, but also provides the basis for educational interventions designed to enhance clinical outcomes.”

Derry Alliance Councillor Rachael Ferguson said: “This amounts to about 500 student places. We’re talking about UU’s courses for radiographers, dieticians, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and podiatrists.

“It’s a good news story for the North West in all ways.”

UU said that since launching the consultation in February ‘the landscape for our colleagues, partners and graduates in the health service has changed beyond all recognition’.

The consultation has been paused and will continue after the COVID-19 emergency. The process will resume for 12 weeks after the crisis and will include a full Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA).