Josh MacAlister MP visited the new Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, meeting with the school’s leadership team and its first cohort of medical students as they begin their training.
The visit highlighted the school’s core mission: 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.
Speaking after the visit, Josh MacAlister MP 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.”
Cumbria has faced persistent challenges in recruiting and retaining doctors, particularly in West Cumbria. Establishing a medical school rooted in the county is a key step in building a sustainable local workforce, improving continuity of care, and ensuring patients can see a GP when they need one.
Josh added:
“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.”
The Government’s wider health agenda focuses on rebuilding general practice, expanding the healthcare workforce, and reducing backlogs that built up in recent years. By investing in training places and modern facilities in areas like Cumbria, the aim is to shift care closer to home and reduce avoidable hospital admissions.
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.
Josh MacAlister MP 