Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter and local MP Sarah Newton visited the Centre last week as part of a tour of the newly refurbished emergency department at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

Dr Poulter took the opportunity to spend time at the University of Exeter Medical School’s base in the Knowledge Spa, meeting students and research staff.

The Minister was shown an example of the Medical School’s problem based learning, and talked with the Centre’s academics about the pressing issues in health research.

On his departure Dr Poulter commented on the Royal Cornwall Hospital’s new facilities and underlined the importance of the Medical School’s presence in Cornwall, saying

“The clinical training of medical students in and alongside the hospital setting is hugely important. They are the next generation of doctors. Being given the quality of education they are receiving as part of the Medical School means they are able to hit the ground running when they qualify and go out on the wards.”