University and hospital partnership lead UK research culture
The research culture established between the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised in an awards ceremony at the recent Health Service Journal Awards.
A major centre for teaching and research in partnership with the University of Southampton, the Trust was proclaimed winner of the coveted Progressive Research Culture category which signifies significant advancement and progression of clinical research activity within the previous 12 months.
Judges of the category, which included a shortlist of eight, described the research as "truly embedded in the Trust's culture and operations" and noted its "strong partnership with academics."
In partnership with the Trust the University of Southampton has developed an initiative focussed on building core, dedicated research capacity and key areas of research strength by integrating research into the fabric and work of the wider Trust.
Professor Alison Richardson, Clinical Professor of Cancer Nursing and End of Life Care, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, comments: "We are really looking forward to continuing our drive for progress. As care is our business the research we do needs to reflect this and for us this means growing the capabilities of all members of our multi-professional teams."
September 2012 saw the start of a new training scheme enrolling newly registered staff nurses as clinical doctoral students. This scheme is the first of its kind in the country and underpinned by funding from Trust Research and Development and service budgets. It enrols individuals with a first class degree and exceptional clinical ability.
Alison continues: "We have established many new key posts and initiated activity. A significant part of this expansion has been about building capacity and capability of the workforce, in particular nurses, midwives and AHPs.
"We have progressed substantially in the last year towards our shared vision of being a leading centre of clinical academic achievement that is patient centred, research driven and clinically led, and this latest award is credit to our partnership."
Alison's role is the first Clinical Chair collaborative post between the University and the Trust to have been created from the initiative.
Notes for editors
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest acute teaching trusts in England with an annual spend of £572 million at three sites across the city of Southampton. It provides hospital services for 1.3 million people living in Southampton and southern Hampshire and specialist services including neurosciences, respiratory medicine, cancer, cardiovascular, obstetrics and specialist children's services to more than 3.5 million people in central southern England and the Channel Islands.
UHS is ranked second in the country for recruitment of patients to clinical trials (15,913) and in the top five for research study volume by the NIHR Clinical Research Network. In partnership with the University of Southampton, UHS has £27m of NIHR infrastructure dedicated to bringing the latest treatments to our patients, comprising the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre in nutrition, NIHR Southampton Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, NIHR/Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility and NIHR/CRUK Southampton Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre.
HS gained foundation trust status in 2011. The Trust was formerly known as Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust (SUHT).