School of Health & Medicine Key challenges: obstacles and actions Presentation to APC January 13 th 2010 Professor Tony Gatrell Dean

Preamble (1) Strategic Plan identifies SHM as a transformational project obstacles, yes, but more appropriate to construct some as issues to be addressed, or opportunities to be grasped, in context of economic downturn and activities of other stakeholders

Preamble (2) School structure: Four Divisions: Biomedical & Life Sciences Health Research Medicine Centre for Training & Development (CETAD)

Obstacles: sustainable internationalisation 1. Historical development, and profile of existing academic staff 2. Current portfolio of taught postgraduate programmes 3. Lack of studentships for overseas postgraduates 4. Constraints on developing undergraduate medicine

Actions: sustainable internationalisation (R) Developments in parasitology and the epidemiology of tropical disease (leishmaniasis – insect vector-borne) Also meningitis, leptospirosis, eye-worm:

Actions: sustainable internationalisation (T) International Doctorate in Palliative Care MSc in Biotechnology & Leadership possible MSc in Environment and Global (public) Health further links with University of Ghana Medical School (Wellcome Trust MSc training grant) possible recruitment of overseas medical students

School of Health & Medicine mapping overseas relationships Overseas Links

Obstacles: increasing research excellence Nature of funding environment and NHS orientation of much of our work (NIHR, also charities...) Culture and mindset of some academic staff Location with respect to M62 corridor (Liverpool-Manchester axis) Lack of pump-priming/studentships

Actions: increasing research excellence NIHR and other NHS funding streams significant, also links to, and support from, NHS Trusts and new knowledge exchange (HEIF) activity Encouraging all staff in research groups to maximise funding applications External links in biotechnology via RDA and pharma/biotech sectors, plus strategic alliances with Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle

Obstacles: engagement with students Distinctive needs of delivering undergraduate medicine Investment in equipment for teaching Valuing of teaching in a research-led University Relative neglect of part-time, work-based students Dispersion of School across six areas of campus does not help identity

Actions: engagement with students Need for clearer, sympathetic understanding of requirements of undergraduate medicine Need for attention to under-investment Recognition of outstanding teachers Resolution of refurbishment project (no longer new build) after 16 months of discussions

Obstacles: engagement with staff Economic environment and impact on NHS Difficulties of recruiting, and engaging with, clinical academic staff Retirements of some well-known academic staff Proportion of payroll devoted to academic and non- academic staff: growth in Medicine and BLS will require both Career progression for academic-related and administrative staff

Actions: engagement with staff Alliances with other HEIs? Current review of strategy on undergraduate medical education – balance between research and teaching (and clinical activity) Planning for retirement.... On-going assessment of need for technical and administrative support Career progression for non-academic staff is a University-wide issue

A bigger vision? There are two large Medical Schools in Liverpool & Manchester to south, Glasgow & Edinburgh to north; nothing between NHS North West sees Lancaster as apex in NW triangle Chance to develop something new and distinctive in city of Lancaster, ideally multi- professional Research niches (very focused) would build on existing strengths

A bigger vision? Now that would be transformational but it requires high-level support regionally and nationally and is deeply political and it will take time….but we have made a start in the first 16 months