‘Archaic’ ban on St Andrews medical degrees to be lifted

The University of St Andrews (Degrees in Medicine and Dentistry) Bill will make a technical amendment to the Universities (Scotland) Act 1966, which established the University of Dundee.

The bill is being brought forward in time for the university to award, jointly with the University of Dundee, Primary Medical Qualifications to Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) MBChB students in advance of the first student cohort graduating in 2022.

The Scottish government says that the legislative prohibition put in place to allow the separation of Queen’s College in Dundee from the University of St. Andrews in order to form the University of Dundee “serves no legitimate purpose in today’s context”.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This bill will remove an unfair, archaic and anti-competitive prohibition which prevents the University of St Andrews from awarding medical and dentistry degrees.

“No other higher education institution in Scotland or the UK is prohibited by legislation from awarding degrees in any discipline. The bill will therefore create a fairer higher education sector and enable all of our valued institutions to maximise the options they offer to students.

“It is important to note that even if the bill is passed, the university would be unable to unilaterally decide to offer degrees in medicine or dentistry in its own right as there are a number of financial and regulatory controls and standards which would have to be met before this could be considered.

“Any significant changes to the current public funding arrangements for the controlled subjects of medicine and dentistry would only occur following a national competitive process.”