An ambitious partnership has been launched between NHS Forth Valley, the University of Stirling, and Forth Valley College, the first of its type in Scotland.
Its mission is to improve patient care and treatments, and boost health research and staff learning across the region. Building on a long-standing relationship between the three institutions, it will work across four priority areas: learning, careers, research, and innovation.
The collaboration will directly respond to the needs of local people by reaching into a wide range of settings – from hospitals, health centres and social care settings to care homes and classrooms.
Cathie Cowan, Chief Executive of NHS Forth Valley, said: “We already have a strong, long-standing relationship with the University of Stirling and Forth Valley College. This exciting new Partnership will build on this work and bring together a wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience to help unlock research funding and develop new learning opportunities for our current and future workforce.
The three partners will work together to address challenges facing local communities, and tackle inequality. Developing new tests and treatments in areas such as cancer, and mental health, will lead to substantial local health improvements and management of diabetes will also be an early area of focus.
In orthopaedics research, academics and clinicians plan to look at how exercise before and after surgery can be used to improve outcomes, speed up recovery and, in some cases, prevent the need for surgery. They also hope to work with older people to explore how certain exercises can improve balance and help reduce the risk of falls and NHS clinical fellows will be placed in university research teams one day a week to enhance their research skills and provide additional skills and resources to support new and existing research studies.
Visit the Forth Valley NHS University College Partnership website for more information.
