The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Uni in line to benefit from law change
St Andrews University will be able to award m ed i c a l and dentistry degrees for the first time in more than 50 years if new legislation is passed by the Scottish Parliament.
Holyrood’s health and sport committee is seeking views on the new University of St Andrews (Degrees in Medicine and Dentistry) Bill which would remove an archaic legal prohibition that prevents the university from doing so by repealing a section of the Universities (Scotland) Act 1966.
If passed, the Bill would be the first step in allowing the university to award, jointly with Dundee University, the qualification to Scottish Graduate Entry Me d i c i n e (ScottGEM) students, who are set to graduate in 2022.
The merger of Dundee University’s medical school with St Andrews’ Bute Medical School in 1897 meant St Andrews could aw a r d m e d i c a l qualifications for the first time, a relationship that continued until the 1960s.
However, the 1966 Act saw St Andrews lose its right to award medical degrees as it made Dundee and St Andrews entirely separate universities.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman says removal of this legislation would create a fairer, higher education sector in Scotland, enabling all institutions to maximise th e op t ion s and opportunities they offer to students in Scotland.
She said: “No other h igh e r edu ca t ion institution in Scotland or the UK is prohibited by legislation from awarding degrees in any discipline. The Bill will therefore create a fairer higher education sector.”
The university would be unable to unilaterally decide to offer degrees in medicine or dentistry in its own right as there are a number of financial and regulatory controls and standards which would have to be met before this could be considered. St Andrews University r i n c i p a l a n d p vice-chancellor Professor Sally Mapstone said the institution supported anything that ensures a “level playing field”.
“The past few months have underlined just how important our health services are and the university is keen to continue to play its part in educating and training health workers,” she said.
“This legislation will help us make our contribution to deliver better health care, retain NHS staff and ensure a sustainable NHS.”
B r i t i sh Med i ca l Assoc ia t ion (BMA ) students ’ committee member and St Andrews Un ivers i ty s tuden t Catriona McVey said: “The Scottish Graduate Entry Me d i c i n e (ScotGEM) course in 2018 has proved to be a unique and innovative course.
“The BMA believes repealing the prohibition is the right course of action and a matter of basic fairness to ScotGEM students and would allow the graduation of ScotGEM’s inaugural cohort.”