LEP to provide £4m for proposed medical school

The South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) has agreed to provide an initial £4m in funding to support the development of a first medical school in Kent and Medway.The Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS) is being developed in collaboration between Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Kent.The South East LEP Accountability Board made the decision to provide £4m of Local Growth Fund (LGF) capital to support the project on 15 November 2019, after the LEP’s Investment Panel identified the project as a priority.The two universities are seeking a total of £8m from the LGF towards the project. A second tranche of £4m has been identified within the pipeline, should additional LGF funds become available.When complete, KMMS will be the first medical school in Kent and Medway, providing a centre in the region for medical education and research to develop the area’s health workforce, and address the growing need for medical professionals in the area due to rapid housing and population growth.KMMS students will study in purpose-built facilities on both Canterbury Christ Church University’s and the University of Kent’s Canterbury campuses and undertake placements within GP practices and NHS hospitals across Kent and Medway. This will contribute to the development of the ‘medical corridor’ envisaged by the Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission.