Following a highly competitive process, Bristol Health Partners (BHP) is now one of only eight designated Academic Health Science Centres (AHSCs) in England. The AHSC will drive service change, leading to world-class health, clinical and economic outcomes for the regional population across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG).
The AHSC designation by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), NHS England and NHS Improvement builds upon BHP’s current successes in research, innovation, education and training and recognises the outstanding local collaborations between academia, public health, the NHS, social care and the voluntary and community sector that the Partnership has created across BNSSG.
Bristol Health Partners AHSC involves 11 organisations:
- Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
- Bristol City Council
- NHS Blood and Transplant
- NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group
- North Bristol NHS Trust
- North Somerset Council
- Sirona care & health
- South Gloucestershire Council
- University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
- University of Bristol
- University of the West of England
Natasha Swinscoe, Chief Executive Officer of the West of England Academic Health Science Network commented:
“We warmly welcome this announcement. Bristol Health Partners AHSC will be nested within, and work with, the West of England AHSN and will complement the local innovation support landscape, focusing on health and care related research, education and training.”
Andrea Young, Chair of the Bristol Health Partners AHSC Board and David Wynick, Director of the Bristol Health Partners AHSC jointly commented:
“The importance of collaboration across research, health and social care has never been greater than we have seen with COVID-19. From the rapid creation of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Bristol to supporting national testing and vaccine trials, the strength of these partnerships is reflected in how local expertise and resources are coming together in response to COVID-19.”
“We should be proud of the outstanding local partnerships we have created and our resulting recognition as a national centre of excellence.”
“As an AHSC, we will strengthen our ability to unite our excellence in health and care provision, research and innovation, education and training to deliver healthier lives, through
better prevention of illness and disease. We will work together to develop and deliver novel, evidence-based treatments and health and care innovations across BNSSG, promoting best practice to improve outcomes for our local population.”
Over the next five years, Bristol Health Partners AHSC will be focusing on six key areas including public health and prevention; mental health and neuroscience; cardiovascular science; surgical innovation; perinatal, reproductive and children’s health and delivering integrated, optimal and equitable care across BNSSG.
Posted on May 13, 2020
