MEDICAL school bosses have denied claims that funding cuts will lead to redundancies in the region and damage efforts to boost doctor numbers.

Officials at Newcastle University Medical School were reacting to claims by a top academic that "massive" funding cuts will cripple the efforts of UK medical schools to increase the number of doctors.

Dr Colin Smith, chairman of the British Medical Association's academic committee, told a conference that half of UK medical schools will have their budgets cut next year.

A leading London medical school - Guys Kings and St Thomas' - has already confirmed 40 redundancies, said Dr Smith, and Newcastle, Leeds and Leicester would follow, he predicted.

Dr Smith said he feared the cuts, based on a new method of allocating research funds, would mean medical schools would not be able to deliver the Government's targets for increasing medical student numbers.

He said: "Staff are doing their best, and will undoubtedly continue to do so, but without proper resources it is a losing battle."

A spokesman for Newcastle University Medical School said they had done "very well" out of the new system and will receive an extra £1.5m per year from the Government as a result of improved performance.

"The confusion seems to have arisen from our restructuring programme. A small number of medical staff have taken early retirement or voluntary redundancy, with enhanced benefits, as part of a university-wide effort to reduce costs and invest in our strengths," said the spokesman.

Last year, the school had an intake of 290 medical students, including 70 starting at Stockton. This is increasing to 340 in October, an increase which is fully-funded by the Government.