Medical & Healthcare

With the Peninsula Medical School (PMS), the significant expansion of the Derriford Hospital and the considerable investment in its associated science and medi-parks, Plymouth is fast becoming a centre of excellence in the medical and healthcare sectors. This is and is set to have a major positive knock-on effect on the wider area.

This sector is already a major employer within Plymouth, for example the Derriford hospital has a workforce of 6,000 people as well as having a major impact upon the economy as a purchaser of local services and supplies.

Sector Group

There is currently no sector group established.  There is considerable interest from various parties to set-up a group and the aim is to set-up this group before the end of 2006.

Initial Priorities

The growth strategy identified the following set of initial priorities:

-	To strengthen networks between medical sector companies, and to facilitate closer links between firms, the NHS and the University
-	To ensure that business support and skills development meets the specific needs of the sector
-	To encourage the engagement of the NHS in the development of the sector, assessing opportunities to facilitate collaborative links and develop local supply chains
-	To encourage and facilitate the spin-off of commercial opportunities created from R&D activity from within the NHS