Plans for a new medical school in north Wales have been unveiled in the latest drive to address staff shortages in the health service.

The scheme is one of a number of Welsh Assembly Government initiatives aimed at improving learning and training within the NHS.

The main problem in our health service is not lack of beds, but lack of nurses to staff the beds

Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jones

The plans were unveiled on Thursday by Welsh Health Minister Jane Hutt following the assembly's draft budget in which �21m was pledged to training.

The school will be run by University College of Wales in Bangor, the North East Wales Institute in Wrexham (NEWI) and the three north Wales NHS Trusts at Bangor, St Asaph and Wrexham.

Students will be located at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

The unit will be an offshoot of the University Hospital of Wales and follows years of campaigning from local politicians.

Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jones, said the project is a step in the right direction.

"This announcement is terrific news for patients, existing NHS staff and prospective students in north Wales," she said.

More topics

"The main problem in our health service is not lack of beds, but lack of nurses to staff the beds, not lack of operating theatres, but lack of surgeons to do the operations.

"I am delighted that the necessary funding has now been found thanks to the record increases in investment announced in the budget," she said.

The clinical school will allow students to study a far wider range of topics and at a higher level than is currently possible within north east Wales.

Kelly Bamsey from Prestatyn is currently studying for a degree in nursing at Bangor.

NEWI will help run the school

She said the new school would help people wanting a career in the medical profession.

"I'm sure this will make a difference in persuading more people from across north Wales to consider the health service as a career.

"It is fantastic to see the assembly finally delivering on the record spending that we keep being told about," she said.

The Welsh NHS budget will increase by �322m next year to �3.8bn.

As well as the �21m being spent on staff training, �205m has been earmarked to fund hospital services and �39m has been put forward towards drug costs.