East Lancashire could be getting hundreds of new doctors in the coming years after fresh funding for additional medical school places in the North West was announced.

The NHS is to fund an extra places at universities in the North West from September, with 105 extra spots available each year for future doctors.

The increase precedes a national expansion from 2025 which it is hoped will bring in thousands more homegrown doctors as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan by the end of the decade.

Chris Cutts, regional director of workforce, training and education at NHS England North West, said: “We’re really excited to be delivering extra medical school places in the North West.

"This means there will be more doctors for our hospitals and surgeries in the future.

"The courses are hugely popular and competitive, and it is brilliant that these talent pipelines have been created, something that is all the more better in the long run.

"This is all about training the next generation of doctors and investing in the NHS.

“The location of these schools in our part of the country will also help ensure medical school places are available where they are most needed, including training much-needed additional doctors for the North West, which is a great place to live and work and because of this we do attract a large number of students.”

It's hoped these new places will attract local people to keep talent in the region, and also more students from under-represented groups

Professor Mini Singh, director of the medical school at Edge Hill University, said: “We are excited to be expanding our ambition to train the next generation of much-needed doctors.

"With more than three quarters of our medical students being from under-represented groups, we will continue to play a key part in ensuring more new doctors represent and understand the needs of the communities they serve here in the North West.”

Edge Hill and the University of Central Lancashire will see places increased under the new plans to recruit more doctors, with other institutions in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire also adding places, including the red-bricks.