A Strategic Alliance that will share best practice in research and the education and training of students and health professionals has been agreed between King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre and St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust Board and St George’s, University of London.

Representatives from the governing bodies of each organisation met on 17 July 2013 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that outlines the aims of the Strategic Alliance, which are to:

  • continue to develop areas of mutual strength in both the commissioning and provision of education and training of healthcare professionals;
  • deliver joint work programmes where synergies exist in research and service innovation;
  • identify opportunities to work together to improve public health across the wider south London healthcare system.

By working together the Alliance aims to make a significant and lasting impact on health and healthcare in south London. This will be in part achieved by contributing leadership to new organisations such as Health Education South London (Local Education and Training Board) and the South London Academic Health Sciences Network (AHSN) but also by identifying additional opportunities and synergies which can be delivered through joint work programmes locally.

Professor Sir Robert Lechler, Executive Director, King’s Health Partners, said:

“The emphasis of this Alliance is collaboration – especially in the areas of health research and the education and training of our healthcare staff and trainees. In the past collaborative working has been at an individual level, but I hope that this agreement will result in fostering relationships more widely.

“The Alliance has already worked together to provide leadership to a successful AHSN application, licensed unconditionally in May 2013. The South London AHSN will drive goals for health outcomes, testing and spread of learning, wealth creation and industry engagement for south London. We’ve also worked closely on a bid to host a CLAHRC (Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care).”

Professor Peter Kopelman, Principal, St George’s, University of London, said:

“This Strategic Alliance is an important development, which will present exciting opportunities for new research collaborations and, in time, could help us realise earlier translation of research into front-line health service provision.

“St George’s, University of London is a dedicated independent health sciences institution that shares a rich and distinguished heritage with St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, dating from the opening of St George’s Hospital at Hyde Park Corner in 1733. We are delighted to now share a formal relationship with Kings Health Partners, which will help to establish cooperative initiatives to improve overall public health in south London.”

Miles Scott, chief executive of St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, said:

“This important alliance between St George’s and King’s Health Partners will drive lasting improvements in patient care across south London.  This will be achieved by sharing innovations across some of the country’s leading healthcare organisations and capitalising on our joint experience and strength in education and research.

“This alliance further cements St George’s position at the forefront of research and innovation and will help us to further improve the quality of our services as well as addressing the important public health issues that face people living and working in south London.”

The signed MoU for the Strategic Alliance will be made available on partner websites.

Notes to editors

For more information and for high resolution photography, please contact the Communications Unit on 020 8725 5151 or email: communications@stgeorges.nhs.uk. Outside working hours, please page us by calling 0844 822 2888, leaving a short message and contact details for pager SG548. High res photos available on request.

King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between King’s College London, and Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.

King’s Health Partners is one of only five AHSCs in the UK and brings together an unrivalled range and depth of clinical and research expertise, spanning both physical and mental health. Our combined strengths will drive improvements in care for patients, allowing them to benefit from breakthroughs in medical science and receive leading edge treatment at the earliest possible opportunity.

For more information, visit www.kingshealthpartners.org

St George’s, University of London
St George’s, University of London (SGUL), established in 1733, is distinctive as the UK’s only independent medical and healthcare higher education institution. It benefits from strong links with the healthcare profession, including a shared site with St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Tooting, south west London.

SGUL is dedicated to the education and training of doctors, nurses, midwives, physician assistants, paramedics, physiotherapists, radiographers, social workers, healthcare and biomedical scientists. It attracts around 6,000 students, some of whom are taught in conjunction with Kingston University.

Research at SGUL has a UK and international focus and aims to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease in areas including infection and immunity, heart disease and stroke, and cell signalling. It also aims to enhance understanding of public health and epidemiology, clinical genetics, and social care sciences.

For more information, visit www.sgul.ac.uk

St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
With thousands of staff caring for patients around the clock, St George” Healthcare NHS Trust is the largest healthcare provider in southwest London. Its main site, St George’s Hospital in Tooting, is one of the country’s principal teaching hospitals.

As well as acute hospital services, the trust provides a wide variety of specialist and community hospital based care and a full range of community services to children, adults, older people and people with learning disabilities. These services are provided from Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton, 11 health centres and clinics, schools and nurseries, patients’ homes and Wandsworth Prison.

For more information, visit www.xstgeorges.nhs.uk