A MEDICAL group – including the Royal Free and University College London hospitals – is in the running to become a leading research centre. UCL Partners, Europe s largest academic health science partnership, has reached the Department of Health s shortlis

A MEDICAL group - including the Royal Free and University College London hospitals - is in the running to become a leading research centre.

UCL Partners, Europe's largest academic health science partnership, has reached the Department of Health's shortlist of organisations seeking official status as an academic health science centre.

Sir Cyril Chantler, UCLP chairman, said: "Making it onto the shortlist is a boost for our efforts to create Europe's leading health research powerhouse.

"UCLP has the potential to transform healthcare for Londoners, to enhance training for medical students and to undertake ground-breaking research that will benefit patients here and around the world."

A final decision as to which organisations make the cut will be made early next month.