A county MP has visited the county’s Pears Cumbria School of Medicine.
Josh MacAlister, who represents Whitehaven & Workington, visited the Carlisle school and met with its leadership team and the first cohort of medical students as they begin their training.
The Pears Cumbria School of Medicine is a pioneering partnership between the University of Cumbria and Imperial College London.
The school’s core mission is to train the next generation of doctors in Cumbria and keep them serving the communities that need them most. By recruiting and educating medical students locally, the school aims to address longstanding challenges in GP access and workforce shortages across the county.
Mr MacAlister said: “It was a real privilege to meet the first year medical students at the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine and to see first-hand the ambition behind this new institution.
“These students represent the future of healthcare in our county. By training doctors here in Cumbria, we are far more likely to keep talented clinicians here – strengthening our GP services, supporting our hospitals, and delivering better care for local people.
“Improving general practice is central to our mission to fix the NHS. That means more appointments, better access, and stronger community-based care. Initiatives like this – training doctors locally with a clear commitment to serve local communities – are exactly how we bring down pressure on hospitals and cut waiting lists.”
During the visit, Josh met with senior leaders at the school to discuss how national policy can continue to support regional medical education and workforce planning.
He also spoke with students about their motivations for studying medicine in Cumbria and their aspirations to practise locally after qualification.
