NHS Lanarkshire and the Unversity of the West of Scotland (UWS) have renewed their partnership and say it will focus on “tackling recruitment challenges and advancing digital healthcare solutions” over the next five years.
Their shared work will expand to include the health and social care partnerships for both North and South Lanarkshire, in addition to the ongoing work at the area’s three acute hospitals.
Students will benefit from placement opportunities, particularly through NHS Lanarkshire’s “active hospitals” initiative designed to keep patients physically active during treatment – while digital healthcare options including wearables and remote monitoring will be tested at UWS’s school of computing, engineering and physical sciences at the Lanarkshire campus before being implemented across NHS Lanarkshire.
It means both of Lanarkshire’s health and social care partnership organisations will be recognised as “university HSCPs”, with officials saying the link “reflects commitment to social innovation, using the expertise of both UWS and NHS Lanarkshire to address healthcare inequalities and promote inclusive, healthy communities”.
The continued partnership, which first began in 2017, will also help promote research with the two organisations collaborating on grant applications and to fund projects aiming to improve clinical practices, patient outcomes, healthcare challenges and help create more integrated care services.
One of its key objectives is to create educational and professional development programmes, aimed at addressing the healthcare sector’s recruitment and retention challenges and meeting its evolving needs.
NHS Lanarkshire chief executive Professor Jann Gardner said: “The renewed focus on health and social care partnerships will enable us to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing healthcare today – by working together, we can create sustainable solutions that promote healthy lives and inclusive communities, ensuring our workforce, patients, and local populations thrive.
“Our combined efforts will ensure we remain at the forefront of healthcare innovation while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, to deliver lasting positive change for patients, staff, and communities across Lanarkshire.”
UWS principal and vice-chancellor Professor James Miller said: “This new phase of our strategic collaboration allows us to explore exciting opportunities in workforce development, digital healthcare and social innovation.
“Together we aim to pioneer projects that will have a lasting impact on health and social care services across Lanarkshire and beyond; it’s not just about improving healthcare outcomes but transforming how we think about delivery and highlights the role universities can play in shaping healthier, more inclusive societies.”
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