Forth Valley University College NHS Partnership aims to improve our health, patient care and staff learning

The University of Stirling, Forth Valley College and NHS Forth Valley are working together to deliver "transformational change” to the health of the area through the delivery of new learning and development opportunities for students and staff working across local health and care services.

The Forth Valley University College NHS Partnership is the first formal regional partnership between a health board, university, and college in Scotland and will work across four priority areas: learning, careers, research, and innovation.

It will use each organisations’ knowledge and expertise to create a nerve centre for world-class research and innovation.

One of the first areas it will focus on is the management of diabetes, along with research on exercise before and after orthopaedic surgery.

It will also look at how exercise in older people can reduce the risk of falling and injury.

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.

“It will also help us trial new tests and treatments and drive forward innovations to improve the health and wellbeing of local people across Forth Valley and beyond.”

Professor Sir Gerry McCormac, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Stirling, said: “This visionary new partnership between three major organisations in the Forth Valley sees us formally unite in our ambition to deliver evidence-based innovations that will make a substantial difference to the health of people across the region.

“Our vision is for the Forth Valley University College NHS Partnership to stand as an exemplar, both nationally and internationally, of how working collaboratively can lead to substantial improvements in health and social care at a regional level.

“Not only will we look to meet the challenges facing the sector and local communities, this collaboration will also have a measurable impact on Forth Valley’s regional economy and society, creating more opportunities for students and staff to thrive and contributing to a healthier and happier society.”

Professor Ken Thomson, principal of Forth Valley College, said: “We are delighted to join in this exciting, innovative and progressive relationship. The opportunities that this partnership will provide to access new learning pathways leading to employment within the NHS are immense, especially within existing curriculum areas such as nursing and social care, but also in new developments such as life sciences and physiotherapy.

“Our school learners who attend college as part of our school college partnership will also benefit, as it will ensure that pupils are exposed to the wide variety of job roles across health and social care and will be supported by the college to start on a relevant learning journey whilst still attending school.”

Career development will be a key focus, with the partnership aiming to attract and retain the brightest and best staff to drive forward improvements across all three organisations.

In the future, a new Regional Skills Academy will be created to deliver a world class programme of clinical, health improvement and social care education. A Quality Improvement and People Academy will follow, creating a hub to share best practice, develop leadership skills, and further develop career progression opportunities for staff.

There is ambition is to secure increased funding to champion integrated and novel research projects which have a direct impact on patients’ lives and are immediately relevant in clinical settings.

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.

Management of diabetes will be an early area of focus for the partnership. Pilot projects are set to test the use of simple exercises, which can be carried out by people of all ages and fitness levels in their own home, to help individuals with type 2 diabetes better manage their condition.

University academics and NHS clinicians are also already working together to investigate how hydration during exercise can help patients with type 1 diabetes control their glucose levels.

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 - an area of great interest for the NHS.