A new medical school has been opened in North Wales by first minister Eluned Morgan and health secretary Jeremy Miles.

The first direct intake of medical students have started at Bangor University this semester – this includes a mix of school leavers and graduate entrants. They will be the first to have all their medical training delivered in North Wales.

This year the school will take 80 students, but numbers will increase steadily to reach 140 a year from 2029-2030 onwards.

The health and social care secretary Jeremy Miles, said: "The medical school’s opening marks our continued commitment to a health service that delivers care as close to people’s homes as possible.

"By choosing to study in Wales, students will benefit from access to modern training facilities, progressive healthcare education, experienced teaching staff and ongoing support from NHS Wales staff across the region."

Planning for the new medical school began in 2020, when Bangor University, Cardiff University, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the Welsh government agreed to work in partnership to set up the school.

The first minister said: "Recruiting skilled doctors is a major challenge across the UK and Europe. The medical school will be a game-changer for doctor recruitment in Wales, enabling more medical students to train in the region, which is good for our NHS, especially in North Wales.

"The North Wales Medical school marks the delivery of a key Programme for Government commitment for North Wales and is the culmination of five years’ hard work by the health board and the universities. The school will soon be providing the NHS with doctors with world-class, modern training to deliver excellent and compassionate care in our NHS for the future."