Healthcare in Hampshire gets boost with new partnership

 A new partnership signed between the University of Winchester and Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust will help secure the next generation of world class staff to care for the community as part of celebrations for the NHS’s 75^th anniversary

Building on years of collaboration, the University of Winchester and Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) have signed a new partnership agreement, during a week which marks 75 years since the foundation of the NHS.

The partnership will secure educational opportunities for both University of Winchester students with Hampshire Hospitals, and hospital staff at the University, providing high quality teaching and expertise to ensure staff are equipped to meet healthcare needs now and in the future.

Through the partnership, nursing and physiotherapy students in the University’s Faculty of Health and Wellbeing are provided with excellent opportunities to gain hands-on experience whilst on placement in a variety of HHFT departments and occupations, resulting in graduates with the skills and competencies to deliver outstanding healthcare services.

Through the new agreement, the two organisations will invest in students and research to support healthcare provision in the county.

Collaborations between HHFT and the University also span beyond healthcare education, with a recent School of Media and Film project leading to the creation of a stunning exhibition of photography taken by students in the Royal Hampshire County Hospital and Winchester Hospice.

This opportunity provided talented students at the University, Adeliia Niemchunova and Hannah Cayley, the opportunity to use their skills in a professional setting, supported by their trainer, local photographer Julian Benjamin. This exhibition is currently on display in the West Downs Centre, as part of the University’s support of the NHS 75 celebrations.

Alex Whitfield, Chief Executive of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, comments

“As we celebrate 75 years of the NHS, the partnership between Hampshire Hospitals and the University of Winchester is something I’m exceptionally proud to be a part of. It is a partnership which is the envy of many of my colleagues across the NHS. Together, we work to train and educate the next generation of NHS staff, and we do so much more than this. 

We work to deliver real change and new ideas across healthcare. What started as a research collaboration, first moved to education and training and has now includes both technology and global health. More than any single skill set or research trial, it is our shared values, and our mutual commitment to outstanding patient care and empowered people, that truly drive this partnership and which will continue to do so for years to come.”

Sarah Greer, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Winchester, says,

“The University and HHFT have worked together for many years, undertaking research and producing outstanding nurses and allied health professionals who go on to make such a difference to the lives of patients. I am delighted to be signing this agreement, particularly as we celebrate 75 years since the foundation of the NHS.

This agreement will enable the University and Hampshire Hospitals to build on our partnership to make an even greater contribution together to the city and the region. We are looking forward to the start of our new Midwifery course in January, which will start to meet the workforce needs of the NHS.”

The signing of the partnership agreement took place at an event at the University’s West Downs Centre. Attendees, including University and HHFT staff were welcomed by Chief Executive of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Alex Whitfield; and from the University of Winchester, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Sam Jones; Adeliia Niemchunova, School of Media and Film student; and Vice Chancellor Professor Sarah Greer.

Guests were treated to music from Ukrainian accordion player Volodymyr Vasylenko and a private view of the photography from the recent project with the School of Media and Film, which captures the beauty of connection between staff and patients in the NHS. This exhibition is currently open to the public in the West Downs Centre until the end of July 2023.