AQW 3418/16-21

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 19/09/2016
Answered On Date: 04/10/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for her assessment of the current operation of the Supplement for Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education.

Answer:

The Supplement for Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education (SUMDE) is a vital component of supporting the supply of future medical and dental staff for the North’s Health and Social Care (HSC) sector. My Department keeps the SUMDE funding allocation model, which distributes nearly £38m per year, under continuous review to enhance accountability in the expenditure by HSC Trusts and ensure that it supports changes in the medical and dental undergraduate curricula delivered by QUB. For example, in 2016/17 funding of £350k has been redirected from HSC Trusts to support an increase in clinical placements in primary care settings. This is part of a progressive process to significantly rebalance the medical undergraduate curriculum to reflect the shift of service delivery from hospital to community settings under Transforming Your Care.