NI Secretary of State Brandon Lewis ‘keen’ to see Derry Medical School signed off

The Conservative Party MP told the Journal in an interview that he had personally discussed the long-awaited Ulster University doctor training facility at Magee with NI Ministers within the past week.

Mr Lewis told the Journal he was “quite keen to see the Medical School come to fruition” in time for the cut off point for BMA requirements by the end of this month.

“I spoke to some of the Executive members last week myself on this and it would be good for everybody if we can get that finalised and agreed so that the University and people locally know and have some certainty about the future.

“This is something that is looking to the future in a really good positive way, and having a Post Grad Medical College there is a really good boost for the area. Hopefully the Executive can get that tied up and done within the BMA requirements in the next few weeks. I know the Executive are very focused on that and are alert to that.

“I will be continuing to take a close interest in seeing that through,” Mr Lewis added.

THe Great Yarmouth MP also praised the collective “passion and determination” of everybody “working together” in the north west towards advancing the City Deal and the local economy.

Speaking just prior to the announcement this week that the UK government’s £105m package of support for Derry & Strabane will be matched with an additional £105m by the NI Executive, the Secretary of State said he had been struck by the united voices coming from the north west “to get a good economic outcome for the whole area” when he met with civic leaders at the Guildhall and visited O’Neills in Strabane days after taking up his portfolio back in February.

Recalling that visit, he said: “One of literally my first visits was when I came to the Guildhall in Derry-Londonderry and met with [City Centre Initiative manager and Unity of Purpose representative] Jim Roddy and the team there, and then the Council team.

“I had been there before actually when I was in the Cabinet Office working on Brexit I came over and did a cabinet round table over in Derry and a couple of years ago as well, so it wasn’t my first visit when I came as Secretary of State but it’s one I enjoyed doing and actually what was really interesting for me, both at O’Neills and also when I was speaking to people at the Guildhall, when I met with Colum Eastwood and the team and Jim Roddy, was that passion and determination everybody had to be working together to get a good economic outcome for the whole area.

“That was one of the reasons why I was so keen to see the City Deal and Growth Deal implemented and driven through,” he said. “Once we come through COVID there’s some good opportunities there to make sure that that investment is realised.

“I think the Growth Deal is the biggest financial package that we have done in the whole of the UK for any of the City Deals, which is an indication of our determination to ensure that kind of investment.”

It is now hoped the match funding from the NI Executive will pave the way for a decision on the Medical School over the coming days.

(Full interview in Friday’s Derry Journal)