A joint partnership between the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTHTR) has won a regional award which celebrates excellence in research.
The Clinical Academic Faculty (CAF), which was created by the two institutions in 2014, claimed the Research Capacity Building Award at the annual North West Coast Research and Innovation Awards ceremony.
The CAF supports development of local clinical academic research and innovation. It offers a one-stop shop for clinical academic research advice and signposting, and provides clinical academic training in the form of a research engagement programme, clinical academic training and internship programmes. UCLan and the Trust jointly provide funding to the CAF. It has successfully supported nurses, midwives and allied health professionals with training and access to other opportunities across the region and nationally.
UCLan’s Dr Philippa Olive, Clinical Academic Faculty Lead, said: “We were absolutely delighted to receive this award for Clinical Academic Research Capacity Building, it is a real testimony to the commitment, investment and collaborative partnerships between UCLan and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. There are so many clinical and academic staff from across the two organisations that have given their time and expertise to support the work of the CAF and contributed to making this happen and our sincerest thanks goes out to all.”
Nichola Verstraelen, Clinical Team Lead for Research and Innovation and NIHR Clinical Research Facility Manager at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted and so proud to have been recognised in the North West Coast Research and Innovation Awards! We strongly feel that clinical research absolutely should be a part of our clinical practice, as it contributes significantly to the quality of patient care and experience we provide. This would not have been possible without the support and dedication of our highly motivated and talented research team.”
The awards ceremony, which took place recently at the Park Royal Hotel in Warrington, celebrated the excellent work being undertaken in health and care across the region, demonstrating the impact of clinical research and innovation on patient and social care.
