Meeting of the Parliament 12 March 2026 [Draft]
I am pleased to speak in today’s debate, and I thank Martin Whitfield for bringing it to the chamber.
I am immensely proud of the achievements of the University of Edinburgh. Our city has long been at the heart of public health, and, over the past 300 years, the medical school has produced extraordinary scientific work and world-leading research. Students from across the world have come to Edinburgh to study medicine and have then gone on to make significant contributions in countries far beyond our own. The university’s commitment to ensuring that local communities also feel the tangible positive impact of the 300-year celebration of the faculty of medicine is hugely worth celebrating; the global partnerships that have been built by the medical school are inspiring; and the work that is being carried out right across the world by its alumni reflects the exceptional standards of education and the lasting relationship that is formed between students and their lecturers.
Edinburgh offers a wide range of sectors and opportunities for those who study medicine, extending far beyond clinical practice. Many alumni have gone on to create new innovations, launch businesses and shape entirely new fields in medicine. The discoveries and achievements of the medical school are remarkable. Its alumni have made a profound difference not just in Scotland but, as several of us have said, across the UK and the world.
As we celebrate that progress, we must also acknowledge that many people still struggle to access the care and support that they need. I also want to highlight the important economic benefits that are brought by the international community that chooses to study and work here, contributing to growth across Scotland. I also cannot speak about the University of Edinburgh without highlighting the massive financial challenges that the university and its staff are facing.
However, to go back to being positive, throughout the anniversary year, a wide range of events will showcase the school’s achievements, including the Edinburgh tartan parade, the Everywoman festival, an alumni weekend and many more. Those events will enable lots of different people to attend—we can all attend, and we should.
Like colleagues, I think that, as we celebrate 300 years of Edinburgh medical school, it is vital to recognise the women whose contributions have shaped medicine in Scotland and far beyond. As part of the anniversary celebrations, a special programme was brought together featuring Professor Lorna Marson, Dr Lesley Dawson and, as Martin Whitfield mentioned, final-year medical student Heen Shamaz to honour the women of Edinburgh medicine. Their discussion highlighted both the historical barriers that women faced and the extraordinary achievements that they went on to deliver. The university’s 300 faces of Edinburgh medical school project has also been instrumental in bringing forward lesser-known stories of women who contributed to that medical progress.
The Edinburgh seven have already been mentioned. They were the first women in Britain to matriculate at a university, and their struggle to gain access to medical education paved the way for generations of women who followed. It was a major achievement. The Herald has highlighted that women spent a century fighting to get into medicine, and that the Edinburgh seven—the first female medical students admitted to a university—were among the trailblazers. They were led by Sophia Jex-Blake. She applied to study and the medical faculty accepted her application, but the university court blocked it. That was challenged. She published that rejection in newspapers and got six more women to apply: Mary Anderson, Emily Bovell, Matilda Chaplin, Helen Evans, Edith Pechey and Isabel Thorne. They worked together as a group and were accepted. I wanted to put their names on the record.
Today, women continue to shape the future of Edinburgh medical school. As Martin Whitfield said, women such as Heen Shamaz represent the next generation of clinicians and researchers, and symbolise the continuity of progress and the growing leadership of women in the field. Progress in medicine is not just about science; it is about who we are and our society. The inclusion, recognition and advancement of women has strengthened the profession and enriched the university’s global impact. That is woven into the fabric of Edinburgh’s medical heritage and will continue to guide its future. That is truly inspiring, and it is an important history for us to celebrate today.