New private school to turn nurses into doctors

Plans for Britain's first independent medical school have been unveiled by a Harley Street doctor.

The Hunter School of Medicine will open in September next year in a bid to meet the increasingly urgent need to train more doctors.

Located on Brunel University's Uxbridge campus it will primarily aim to train senior NHS nurses and paramedics to become doctors.

Named after John and William Hunter, 18th century surgeons and physicians from Glasgow, the school hopes to pioneer new ideas in the selection and training of doctors.

Paul MacLoughlin is spearheading the plan and said: "We're really just going back to a tried and tested formula.

"We just want to give senior nurses and paramedics who've done well a chance to go further.

"At the moment, these people don't have much opportunity to do so."

Most students will be expected to take a fast-track course for four years and will be charged about ?20,000 each year, the same rate as overseas students going to a statefunded medical school.

Bursaries, grants and scholarships are expected to be available.