University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and the University of Leicester have today announced the creation of a new partnership to link excellence in research, education and health service delivery across the county.

The three organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form Leicestershire Academic Health Partnership (LAHP). The partnership will be guided by a board comprising the most senior leaders of each organisation and others, who will oversee a number of strategically important research projects.

John Adler, chief executive of University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: “We need to ensure that academic developments that can improve clinical care across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are implemented quickly. Our new partnership will help us to work together to translate research findings for healthcare improvements that benefit local patients.”

Cathy Ellis, chair of Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, said: “Our Trust provides care for patients with significant health needs and long term conditions where new research is urgently needed. Our new partnership will help us to set up improved systems to develop new research programmes that help patients and engage our staff.”

Professor Philip Baker, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Life Sciences and Dean of Medicine at the University of Leicester, said: “We have established a visible partnership that provides a seamless link between academics and healthcare workers and allows them to work more closely together to help patients. This will act as a catalyst to increase research activity and encourage more outside investment into our local area.”

Although currently under discussion, these priorities for the new partnership will include some of the big health challenges that are faced in the county, such as frailty in an ageing population, mental illness, minority ethnic health and healthcare data for research.

Notes for editors:

Photo caption (from left to right): Dr Peter Miller, Chief Executive, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust; Professor Edmund Burke, Acting Vice-Chancellor, University of Leicester; John Adler, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust – sign the Memorandum of Understanding for the Leicestershire Academic Health Partnership.

A high resolution version of the image can be downloaded from here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AdS600l99Zyt5IUesTrmIasgeAqHMZd?usp=sharing

For more information:

Rachael Dowling
Research communications manager,
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

0116 2584971 / 07950 891193

rachael.dowling@uhl-tr.nhs.uk

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust is one of the biggest and busiest NHS Trusts in the country, serving the one million residents of Leicester,
Leicestershire and Rutland – and increasingly specialist services over a much wider area. Our nationally and internationally-renowned specialist treatment and services in cardio-respiratory diseases, ECMO, cancer and renal disorders reach a further two to three million patients from across the UK.

Spread over the General, Glenfield and Royal Infirmary hospitals, we also have our very own Children’s Hospital and work closely with partners at the University of Leicester and De Montfort University providing world-class teaching to nurture and develop the next generation of over 15,000 highly skilled staff including doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, many of whom go on to spend their working lives with us.

For further information, please visit www.leicestershospitals.nhs.uk

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) provides community health, mental health and learning disabilities services for the one million people living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. We have a budget in excess of £275 million and employ approximately 5,500 staff. For more information visit: www.leicspart.nhs.uk

About the University of Leicester

The University of Leicester is led by discovery and innovation – an international centre for excellence renowned for research, teaching and broadening access to higher education. It is among the top 25 universities in the Times Higher Education REF Research Power rankings with 75% of research adjudged to be internationally excellent with wide-ranging impacts on society, health, culture, and the environment. The University is home to just over 20,000 students and approximately 3,000 staff.

Find out more: https://le.ac.uk/about

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