University of York to invest £5.8 million in Medical School facilities

University of York to invest £5.8 million in Medical School facilities

Hull York Medical School are delighted to announce that the University of York are investing £5.8 million to develop its medical school facilities at York.

The investment will include a complete redesign of the existing medical school building, and provision of new clinical skills spaces nearby in the Seebohm Rowntree Building – the combination of which will transform the School’s facilities at York. It follows the announcement that Hull York Medical School were awarded an additional 90 undergraduate medical school places as part of the government’s expansion of undergraduate medical education.

Professor Una Macleod, Dean, Hull York Medical School, says:

We are committed to delivering exceptional medical education and to supporting our students to realise their ambitions and succeed. Investment in our York estate will transform the learning experience of our York campus based students – providing them with stimulating and state of the art facilities in which to learn

The Medical School’s innovative curriculum is centred on problem based learning, clinical and communication skills and early and sustained clinical exposure across a range of hospital sites. A central feature of the redesign will be a new problem based learning suite and collaborative learning space for students on the first floor of the Medical School building. The suite will provide convenient access to the School’s dedicated programme delivery and student support teams, as well as increased academic support from the MB BS Medicine leadership team. Students will also benefit from close proximity the growing Health Professions Education Unit – a unit which is at the forefront of developments in health education. As a good understanding of anatomy is the foundation for medical education, the redesign will also provide significantly expanded and re equipped anatomy and dry laboratory.

The School are also working with the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York on clinical skills facilities, which will be expanded over the summer to accommodate the needs of both Departments and provide opportunities for students across health disciplines at York to train side by side – preparing them to be part of multi-disciplinary teams within their future careers.

Emmily Nonas, MB BS Medicine student, believes the investment in facilities will make a real difference to the student experience. She says ‘studying medicine is intense and challenging but hugely rewarding. Hull York Medical School is a real community and the redesign, as well as providing great facilities in which to learn, will ensure new and current students continue to feel part of the Hull York Medical School community and have easy access to academic and pastoral support throughout their journey’.

Professor Brian Fulton, Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of York says: ‘Ensuring that our students have access to the very best facilities and support will ensure that they develop the knowledge and skills they will need throughout their careers in health, whatever their specialty. We are delighted to be working with colleagues across the School and University to develop facilities for medicine students and in doing so explore opportunities for students across health disciplines to train side by side – allowing them to develop their understanding of different health professionals and their future roles within multi-disciplinary teams within the NHS.’

The University of York has appointed Interserve Construction Ltd* as the main contractor for the redevelopment. Over the last few years, Interserve has successfully delivered the new Piazza, and Biology buildings at the University of York and the Allam Medical Building at the University of Hull. These facilities have provided inspirational spaces to work and study for staff and students and have won a number of awards. The Allam Medical Building was recognised at the Guardian’s University Awards in 2018 in the ‘Buildings that Inspire’ category. The Piazza building has been recognized by Constructing Excellence Yorkshire and Humber – Sustainability category, Constructions News Awards – Health, Safety and Wellbeing category, and Leeds Sustainability Institute RISE Awards – New Technologies category. It was also Highly Commended in Constructing Excellence Yorkshire and Humber, Health, Safety and Wellbeing category.

Hull York Medical School facilities at Hull and York offer a stimulating environment in which to learn and both Universities are investing in facilities which are transforming their campuses. The University of York has, since 2000, invested an unprecedented £500 million in facilities across its 500 acres of landscaped campus. At the University of Hull, the £28-milliion health campus investment includes the state-of-the-art and award winning Allam Medical Building, which was opened by Her Majesty the Queen in September 2017, alongside significant investment in accommodation and student facilities.

The University of York’s £5.8million investment in medical school facilities demonstrates their continuing support for Hull York Medical School as well as their commitment to training doctors of the future.

*Interserve Construction Ltd, part of Interserve Group Ltd