Senior leaders from the University of Liverpool and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT) have joined forces to set out plans for an academic health sciences campus on the site of the former Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
The two organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding which will build on the long-standing partnership between the two Liverpool institutions, ultimately benefitting patients, students and local residents.
The university’s medical, dental, nursing, and allied health professional students would be hosted at the facility, which will open opportunities up for interdisciplinary learning and development.
The campus will also feature flexible teaching spaces, clinical educational facilities, and areas for activity simulations – such as mock wards and patient homes.
This will all be supported by cutting-edge IT equipment which will help prepare students to enter into a workforce that will increasingly harness robotics, AI and data.
For those looking to tackle both regional and global healthcare challenges, clinical research space will also be afforded.
LUHFT chief executive, James Sumner, described the agreement as “an incredibly exciting opportunity” for Liverpool.
Sumner said: “A new clinical skills and health education facility would significantly improve and modernise the quality of health education for the next generation of health care workers across multiple professions, including medicine, dentistry, nursing and the allied health professions.”
He continued: “It offers opportunities for collaboration and partnership in clinical research and innovation for the benefit of the NHS across the region, which is essential for improving the care and treatment we deliver whilst also helping to tackle challenges, such as the health inequalities within the Liverpool City Region.”
The collaboration will also funnel jobs into the city’s knowledge quarter – an innovation district that brings together influential players across the science, health, technology, education, music and creative performing arts sectors.
“We are committed to working with University of Liverpool to help support making this new facility a reality in the coming years,” concluded Sumner.
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