NHS Highland has agreed a groundbreaking move to form a university board – the first of its kind in Scotland.
Following initial agreement last year, a further paper was presented to the board yesterday outlining support for the proposal and its benefits.
Professor Hugo Van Woerden, director of public health for NHS Highland, said: “We have taken a significant step in becoming a university board. Formalisation of these links will ensure greater recognition of our longstanding commitment to research, education and training and as an organisation we are committed to ensuring that joint work by staff is appropriately recognised.
“The board has agreed to the working title of NHS Highland University Board which we feel will enhance the reputation of NHS Highland and support our expertise in the delivery of integrated health and adult social care.”
NHS Highland has a long history of working with the academic sector and the health board work in close collaboration with every university in Scotland. These academic links operate across all professionals groups and arrangements are in place with a number of providers of training in personal and social care.
The remit of the university partnership will be to drive forward and monitor developments across education and training in areas such as quality improvement, research and innovation and remote and rural practice and service delivery.
NHS Highland will now approach to the University of the Highlands and Islands to ask for a nominee who would attend NHS Highland’s Board meetings as an academic representative.
Professor Clive Mulholland, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), said: “We are delighted that NHS Highland’s proposals have been approved and that the university is recognised as a key partner. As our school of Health, Social Care and Life Sciences continues to grow and develop, we welcome the opportunity to build on work together.”
