Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust (SHSC) and the University of Sheffield are delighted to strengthen their unique partnership that will see the mental health provider formalise its University Hospital status as part of the University Hospital Association.

This partnership represents a powerful stride towards advancing mental health research and transforming mental health, learning disability and autism services across Sheffield, beginning with the collaborative creation of a shared innovation and research strategy. For service users in Sheffield this will mean that they will benefit from new innovative treatments and interventions, care and support from highly trained specialist staff and services that are improving through outstanding collaboration between the NHS and the university.

SHSC has been a member of the University Hospital Association since 2019 and is now one of only four mental health, learning disability and autism trusts in the country to be awarded University Hospital status.

The prestigious status of being a University Hospital denotes NHS organisations as being important national research and education resources and helps them to recruit and retain the best staff.

To achieve the status the trust has shown:

• A sustained and significant contribution to teaching the next generation of health care professionals
• High quality, holistic and evidence-based care for service users
• Sustained, significant commitment to research, which will mean SHSC will prioritise research development
• A clear focus on the educational development and training of the current and future workforce

Through this continued partnership, SHSC will collaborate closely with the University's Faculty of Health to develop an ambitious vision for mental health, learning disability and autism care in Sheffield. Together the two organisations will improve information-sharing processes and use evidence-based ways of looking at health. Teams at both organisations hope the alliance will improve the lives and health of people across the city.

The partnership will also foster stronger links between clinical teams and academic researchers so they can widen collaboration on research grants, through creating new partnerships and new areas of research focus. This will also create opportunities for honorary contracts across both organisations, fostering closer working relationships and providing chances for professional development for staff.

A new non-executive director from the University of Sheffield has been appointed to the board of SHSC to cement the new ways of working. Professor Judy Clegg is the interim dean of the School of Allied Health Professions, Pharmacy, Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Sheffield, and a Professor of speech and language therapy. Judy will take up this new role in September. She will bring the perspectives of the University – particularly in research, innovation and development – into the two organisations’ shared work. She is a clinician by background and currently works with Sheffield Children’s NHS Speech and Language Therapy Service.

Professor Helen Crimlisk will be playing a leading role in the partnership, taking up a post as associate medical director and director for innovation, research and development at SHSC on 2 November as the organisation continues to grow - championing community care, digital technology and prevention. Her deep commitment to evidence-based practice, collaborative learning developments and service improvement will help SHSC build stronger links with academic partners and drive forward research that makes a real difference to the lives of those it serves.

A recent example of collaboration between the two organisations is the complex emotions hub. Led by Professor Scott Weich at the Healthy Lifespan Institute, at the University of Sheffield and hosted by SHSC, the project is helping to discover new approaches for diagnosis, treatment and support for Borderline Personality Disorder. This research is part of a £22.5 million mental health platform established by The Medical Research Council, on behalf of UK Research and Innovation.

The University of Sheffield and SHSC are also working on a national project to help NHS services to respond to the workforce crisis in mental health. The researchers are studying how best to introduce new roles in mental health to strengthen and support the healthcare system as a whole, for the benefit of service users and staff giving care. The project has £800,000 funding from the National Institute of Health Research.

Alongside the School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery within the University’s Faculty of Health, this partnership will also support NHS mental health, learning disability and autism nurses and allied health professionals such as speech and language therapists. They may benefit from taking on expanded roles and making independent clinical decisions to meet the needs of service users. There will also be opportunities for students studying the University’s new MPharm programme to understand the role of their profession in mental health, learning disability and autism care.

Professor Koen Lamberts, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said, "This partnership represents an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine healthcare in Sheffield. We are building on the great foundations of our long-standing partnership in the city. We are excited to collaborate in bridging the divide between clinical practice and academic research, driving innovation, and improving health outcomes for our community."

Salma Yasmeen, chief executive of SHSC, added, "We are immensely proud to partner with the University of Sheffield in strengthening our University Trust status. This collaboration not only raises the profile of mental health, learning disability and autism care, but also positions Sheffield as a national leader in research and healthcare innovation. Most importantly, it means that people in our communities will directly benefit, through access to cutting-edge research trials, care from highly skilled workforce, and services continually improved through the power of partnership between the NHS and the University.

Professor Andy Hardy, Chair of University Hospitals Association added; “It is great to see the formalisation of this partnership between Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS FT and the University of Sheffield. As members of the University Hospitals Association the trust will foster collaboration, share innovation, and champion excellence in patient care, workforce development, and clinical research. The partnership will help to train the next generation of NHS staff in Sheffield and ensure that patients benefit from the latest evidence-based care. I am looking forward to seeing the partnership grow in the future."