£250,000 awarded to university & charity partners to develop healthcare education and build the East Midlands’ reputation as a great place to study, train and work.
The East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN) in partnership with Health Education East Midlands, has awarded £250,000 to organisations that educate professionals (including nurses, doctors and radiographers) across the East Midlands, as part of its first ever Higher Education Institution (HEI) Challenge Award.
The award will support 10 local universities to develop ways of working together: sharing, developing, showcasing and spreading their work relating to healthcare training and education.
The funding will be used in three main areas:
- Involving patients and carers in shaping course content, developing teaching tools and materials, offering feedback and developing role play in simulated learning scenarios, helping ensure future professionals are better able to meet the healthcare needs of East Midlands residents
- Using technology to develop new ways of working in education such as high quality online content, educational games, electronic portfolios and personal development plans, along with social networking to build patient-patient, clinician-patient or clinician-clinician communication
- Improving understanding and team working between different professions and fields of expertise through shared learning experiences.
The organisations all contribute to the education and training of health professionals in the East Midlands:
- University of Derby
- De Montfort University
- University of Leicester
- University of Lincoln
- Loughborough University
- University of Northampton
- University of Nottingham
- Nottingham Trent University
- University of Sheffield
- Sheffield Hallam University
They will be supported by Education for Health, the world’s leading charity involved with the education of health professionals, which focuses on training as a key factor in improving patient health and quality of life.
It will be the first time all 11 organisations have worked together across the whole region on a joint project.
Managing Director of the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network, Rachel Munton, said:
“The East Midlands has a deserved reputation for healthcare education and training – and it is also a great place to live and work. Our Higher Education Institution Challenge Award sits at the very heart of what the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network is all about; supporting health innovation and wealth creation through the development of partnerships and collaborations.
“We’re thrilled to be working with all eleven organisations on this initiative and it really demonstrates how committed we all are to making the East Midlands a great place in which to study, train and work.
“The funding will be used to share innovation and expertise across the region, enhancing the education outcomes and experiences of staff and learners working in healthcare. This will also help ensure the future needs of local employers are met and will provide a boost for our economy – encouraging more students to stay in the region following their training and addressing current issues in retaining high quality staff.”
Professor Niro Siriwardena of The University of Lincoln is leading the partnership. He said: “This ground-breaking project is a major milestone for health education in our region as it is the first time we have all come together to lead such a major initiative that will have benefits throughout the East Midlands.
“We believe it will lead to an improved student experience, and to more people undertaking postgraduate study and research in ways to improve healthcare quality. This in turn will lead to improvements in the care of East Midlands patients through new and innovative approaches.”