University of Bristol and Bristol NHS Foundation Trust formalise new partnership

By Stella Phipps, News Reporter

Such changes include enabling academics and clinicians to work closely to enhance health-related education and research, while boosting patient care in the region.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (BFT) was formed by merging North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW).

With this new partnership, both trusts will build on their long-standing relationships with the University.

This partnership will provide training and experience to thousands of students. Currently, the University has 1600 medical students and 400 dentists, while the BFT has a workforce of 28,000.

The University and the BFT have previously collaborated on projects like the PReCePT programme, which has protected over 22,000 babies from risk of developing cerebral palsy.

Other projects include the CAP/Protect trials focused on prostate cancer screening and the rollout of a national genetic test.

The test aims to reduce the risk of donor kidney failure from donors of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage.

The partnership also extends to a new £50 million ‘Inequalities Challenge Consortium’ focussed on researching cardiovascular disease - responsible for over 1/4 of UK deaths.

Maria Kane, Chief Executive of BFT, and Prof. Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing to the government's ‘Ten-Year NHS Plan.’

This plan seeks to bring healthcare closer to local communities, shifting to digital services, and taking a more proactive approach to patient treatment.

The MOU commits both organisations to shifting care to new Neighbourhood Health Hubs, securely sharing data with AI to improve treatment, and expanding access to prevention research.

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Prof. Evelyn Welch described how this ‘deep and trusted partnership with the NHS’ will serve to ‘design and deliver new models of healthcare and medical education, training and research.’

Maria Kane said the partnership marks a ‘clear foundation and shared ambition’ that will ‘continue to thrive to benefit the communities we serve, shape the future of healthcare, and the next generation of professionals within it.’

Featured Image: Epigram / Sophie Maclaren