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Ministers asked to review Devon medical school split

The plans would see a medical and dentistry school in Plymouth and a medical school in Exeter

Plymouth and Exeter universities announced in January that they wanted to separate the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry.

Councillors are concerned about the potential impact of the de-merger on the economy and healthcare provision.

The universities said separate schools in each city would result in places for more students.

The college currently has places for 200 medical and 64 dentistry students.

The de-merger would see a medical and dentistry school in Plymouth and a medical school in Exeter.

The council decision to write to ministers comes after Plymouth University announced its leadership team for the city's new school, due to open in 2013, earlier this month.

The city council had requested a 12-week consultation into the de-merger proposals.

A Conservative councillor and former member of the now Labour council's health scrutiny panel, Dr David Salter, said: "We do not want these universities to pull apart without us being sure on behalf of our citizens that healthcare will continue to be good in our area."

Before any move could go ahead, the proposals would have to be approved by the General Medical and Dental Councils, the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the NHS.

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