title: The investment of a new medical school in its local primary care community.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Keele School of Medicine has an innovative new MBChB curriculum with a strong focus on primary care. Our students spend a minimum of 115 days in general practice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the investment by the school in the local primary care community.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collated data on list sizes of current undergraduate teaching practices, county populations and the investment in practices' teaching skills and physical premises.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between academic years 2010-11 and 2012-13 a total of 118 (annual mean of 99) practices contributed to teaching across six counties, providing care for 655 229 people. Forty-five per cent of 243 practices in Staffordshire and Shropshire teach. They serve 51% of the two counties' population. We have invested £1.62 million in the premises of 25 practices providing services for 18% of people in Staffordshire and Shropshire, £273 000 in a rural campus in Shropshire, and £99 387 in set-up grants. We have conducted 249 practice development visits. There were 540 attendances at tutor development sessions. We have had a total of 2300 hours of face-to-face contact with our practices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The school has made a major investment in general practice in its area, contributing to the development of general practitioners and investing in practice premises.
authors.affiliation: Senior Clinical Lecturer in Medical Education, Keele University School of Medicine, David Weatherall Building, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK. m.h.bartlett@keele.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.affiliation: Clinical Teaching Fellow, Keele University School of Medicine, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.affiliation: Professor of Education in General Practice, Keele University Medical School, UK.
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: McKinley
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D007449:Investments; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012577:Schools, Medical