A SCHEME to create a medical school in the North has turned into a reality with the launch of the centre's first prospectus.

The school, which will be based at the universities of York and Hull, will serve 1.4 million people when it opens next year.

It has been established to answer a national need for more doctors and will take 130 students a year.

Students will be based at one of the two universities, and will also be attached to practices and hospitals in the North Yorkshire, East Riding and North Lincolnshire areas.

The curriculum will provide study with a strong emphasis on community-based medicine and a focus on evidence-based treatments.

It is also hoped that the school will improve services in an area hit by significant healthcare deprivation.

The newly-appointed dean, Professor Bill Gillespie, said: "The school will be providing a world-class opportunity to study an exciting and forward-thinking curriculum."