Cambridge confirmed as elite centre for health sciences

Cambridge has been confirmed as an elite centre for health sciences.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced that Cambridge University Health Partners was amongst the five winners of the race to be designated an Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC). These centres, chosen from amongst the leading university medical centres in the country, have been identified as the groups most likely to be able to compete with equivalent organisations in America, Europe and the rest of the world in areas of biomedical excellence.

Last month the University of Cambridge made a joint proposal to the Department of Health, along with its principal NHS partners - Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - to be designated as an AHSC.

Dr Gareth Goodier, CUH chief executive, said: “This is excellent news and great recognition of the skills and expertise of staff in our four partner organisations. This partnership is creating one of the richest pools of clinical and scientific knowledge and expertise in the country. Already the closer working relationship of this partnership has proved beneficial for patients and as we move forward together we will be seeing greater improvements in healthcare for our whole community.”

 

The four organisations, which have many existing links, recently agreed to come together into a more formal alliance and to create an entity to be known as Cambridge University Health Partners. The new partnership will bring the member organisations closer together in pursuit of outstanding excellence in clinical care, clinical education and health research so as to improve services to patients and population health. It will also work to accelerate innovation and generate wider economic and social benefits in the Greater Cambridge area as well as nationally.