News

University appoints Dean of Medicine

(12 February 2003)

The University of Durham has appointed Professor Amritpal (Pali) Hungin as Dean of Medicine. He will take up the new full-time appointment on 1 March 2003.
This item was reported in The Northern Echo and The Journal (13/02/03).

Professor Hungin is a distinguished General Practitioner with an outstanding record of achievement in bridging the academic interface between health care professionals and the NHS. He currently holds a number of high-profile roles including Chairman of the National Health Service Research and Development Forum and Founder and Director of Northern Primary Care Research Network (NoReN). In 2000, he was awarded the OBE for services to research in general practice.

Professor Hungin also brings a wealth of clinical experience to the new post, acquired over the past 23 years as a GP at Eaglescliffe Health Centre, Stockton-on-Tees. His specific interests include clinical care across primary and secondary health and disease prevalences. Much of his research is in gastroenterology.

Working within the University's Faculty of Social Sciences and Health, the new post has been established to consolidate and strengthen the University's existing developments in medical education, research and clinical practice.

The Vice-Chancellor, Sir Kenneth Calman said: "The University is delighted that such a distinguished and respected clinician has accepted the new post as Dean of Medicine. It is an outstanding appointment and signals the importance the University places on the primary care expertise Professor Hungin brings to the role. Our existing positive relationships with the NHS and partner institutions will also be enhanced through this appointment".

The University now has 165 medical students based at its Queen's Campus in Stockton on a new medical programme which is a joint venture with the University of Newcastle. The new medical degree is a 5 year course with students based at the Campus in Stockton for the initial 2 years and then integrated into Newcastle for the second phase of the programme.

Professor Hungin will work closely with Professor John Hamilton, the Academic Director of the phase one medical curriculum and his team who have created an innovative teaching programme which is distinctive in its community-centred approach.

Professor Hamilton said: "We welcome the appointment of a GP as Dean who shares our enthusiasm and commitment to producing more doctors with a deeper awareness of the social context of medical practice".

As Professor of Primary Care and General Practice at the University of Durham since 1997 and Director of the Centre for Integrated Health Care Research since 2001, Professor Hungin has played an important role in setting up a research development scheme for GP's and nurses. The well established practitioner-based clinical research unit, encompassing primary and secondary care issues, now has several PhD 'students' based in primary care and researching into interface clinical issues.

Commenting upon his appointment Professor Hungin said: " Durham is a world class University and there are great opportunities to build on the achievements of Professor Hamilton and his team. I am delighted to be taking up the post and look forward to addressing the major challenges of medical education in the 21st Century".

Professor Hungin has over 80 publications to his credit and has received numerous awards. He holds degrees of MBBS, MD from the University of Newcastle and is a Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners.

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For more information contact: Jan Cawood, Public Relations Officer, University of Durham Tel: 01642-335318

Notes to Editors:

Biographical summary
Professor Hungin graduated from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1975 with an MBBS. He gained an MRCGP in 1979 and was awarded Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (DRCOG) the same year. In 1991 he was elected Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners and in 1996 was awarded MD from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Professor Hungin's present appointments are General Practitioner at the Eaglescliffe Health Centre; Founder and Director of the Northern Primary Care Research Network (NoReN); Professor and Director of Primary Care and General Practice at the Centre for Integrated Health Care Research at Durham; and Chairman of the NHS R and D Forum. His previous clinical and academic appointments have included Hospital Practitioner in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy at South Tees Acute Trust (1982-1999), Trainer/Tutor, Cleveland Vocational Training Scheme at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (1986-1991), Research Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners (1990-1994), Founder and Vice-Chairman, UK Federation of Primary Care Research Networks (1998-2001), and Chairman of the Steering Committee, South Thames Research and Implementation Network (STaRNeT) (1996-2000). In 2000 Professor Hungin was awarded the OBE for services to research in general practice.

Medicine
70 students were admitted in 2001 and a further 95 in 2002 to the University's new Medicine programme, which is a joint venture with the University of Newcastle. The course is distinctive in its community-centred approach to the training of new doctors and a wide range of community placements have been set up to provide students with experience of the community at first hand.