Two well-known institutions in Lancashire have joined forces to help support people with life shortening illnesses.
The University of Central Lancashire and St Catherine’s Hospice have signed a strategic partnership agreement today, 29 January, to strengthen the positive impact being made between the two organisations.
The mutually beneficial partnership will see the charity become a University Hospice and it aims to improve patient care through education and research. It will provide learning opportunities for clinical and non-clinical students in the hospice setting and will also create development opportunities for hospice staff.
Professor StJohn Crean, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) at the University of Central Lancashire, said: “I’m absolutely delighted we’re able to formally recognise our fantastic working relationship.
“We have been working collaboratively for a while now but feel the time is appropriate to strengthen this partnership and the link between education, research and practice further, whilst recognising the great work that St Catherine’s Hospice delivers.
“This collaboration will ensure education, training, research and innovation is embedded in all the hospice delivers and that will be of benefit to the patients, their loved ones, the staff and volunteers and our students.”
Students on a wide range of medical, nursing and health courses will undertake placements at the Lostock Hall based charity, which supports people with life-shortening conditions to have quality of life to the end of life.
More than 300 medical students, from Years 1, 4 and 5, will spend time at the hospice on an annual basis. First year students will undertake a day placement, providing their first insights into hospice and palliative care; fourth years will spend two weeks gaining experience of the inpatient unit and community and lymphoedema care while final year students will have the option to select the hospice for an extended self-selected module.
It is also hoped placements opportunities will be created for students across a variety of health and social care courses including nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and counselling.
Dr Andrew Fletcher, Medical Director at St Catherine’s Hospice, commented: “Today is a landmark day for us and it’s one which brings great excitement for what the future holds.
“We already take a number of medical students on placements but what’s exciting for us is the potential to expand those opportunities to wider disciplines under the umbrella of our University Hospice partnership.
“The University and ourselves have worked together with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust to establish a research and innovation subcommittee and through this partnership we are now looking forward to developing so many more palliative care research and innovation opportunities.”
Other aspects of the partnership include recognition of hospice staff with honorary University appointments and guest lecture opportunities.
