Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron has said that the Scottish Conservative proposal for a new medical school in Inverness will benefit the entire Highlands and Islands region.

Mr Cameron, who is responsible for co-ordinating policy development for the Scottish Conservatives, said that the proposal will be included in the party’s manifesto for the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections. The new facility will aim to train 750 doctors over the next parliament.

“Our proposal for a new medical school based at the Centre for Health Science in Inverness is designed to address the NHS recruitment crisis which is affecting communities across our region including Argyll and Bute and the Western Isles.

“We are sending a clear message to people planning a career in the NHS that we take their ambitions seriously and will provide first-class professional development opportunities in the heart of the Highlands.

“We want our future doctors and nurses to see that there is a bright future serving our local communities and that the necessary investment will be made to ensure that they can develop their careers without having to move to the Central Belt or further afield.

“For too long the SNP Government has mismanaged NHS workforce planning and the Scottish Conservatives will put that right.”

Donald Cameron MSP is the Scottish Conservative policy co-ordinator for the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary elections.