Aston University joins Birmingham Health Partners alliance

• Aston University becomes second university member to join Birmingham Health Partners (BHP)
• BHP brings together excellence from University of Birmingham and four regional NHS trusts
• The alliance brings together translational medicine, encompassing health data and academic excellence.

Aston University has joined Birmingham Health Partners (BHP), becoming the second university to join the city’s university-NHS partnership.

BHP brings together academic, clinical and translational excellence from the University of Birmingham, Aston University and four regional NHS trusts: University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust; Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust; and more recently Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, the Royal Orthopaedic NHS Foundation Trust, as well as the regional Academic Health Science Network.

BHP is known for its unique ecosystem which enables a full spectrum of translational medicine: encompassing health data, an established local health system, academic excellence and an extensive clinical trials capability – to help bring about answers to complex healthcare issues for the direct benefit of people worldwide.

Aston University will be represented at board level by Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University. While Professor Anthony Hilton, Pro-Vice-Chancellor & Executive Dean College of the College of Health and Life Sciences will join the executive group of BHP.

Professor Hilton said: “We are excited to join BHP because it gives Aston University the chance to develop cross institutional collaborations under one umbrella of BHP. It provides an important forum for engagement with our regional NHS trusts and beneficiaries for both research, education and knowledge exchange.

“We are keen to see how the alliance will support the funding of future research, enabling us to share innovation at the boundaries of each institutional expertise.

“By having a unified West Midlands approach, we can harness key skills, expertise and our resources to have an impact on health in the region.”

Managing Director at BHP, John Williams said: "It gives me great pleasure to welcome Aston University to be part of Birmingham Health Partners.

“Alongside our NHS partners we will make use of our shared capabilities as employers, educators and researchers to positively impact the health and economic growth of our region."