Board to Ward – May 2026
In May’s Board to Ward we share three highlights:
Leading the way nationally with research
2025/26 is a landmark year in UHP's thirty-year history of clinical research. We rank 1st in England for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) clinical trial recruitment. 45,643 participants took part in research studies, an increase of 35% on the previous year and higher than any other Trust in the country and we currently have 205 active recruiting studies. During this year, UHP was first in the UK to open 13 clinical trials; first to recruit in the UK on 9 trials; and first to recruit in the world on 3 trials. Increased access to research helps improve outcomes for our population.
We have also secured ten NIHR Specialty Research Lead appointments across seven Consultants and Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals within the South West Peninsula Regional Research Delivery Network. This reflects the depth of expertise across UHP and our growing contribution to national research delivery. This is further reinforced by the appointment of Dr Jess Welborne as Medical Director for the regional network. Congratulations Jess and all other UHP colleagues appointed to research roles.
Leading the way in lifestyle medicine
Dr Beth Newstead, known to many colleagues as Dr Beth, came to talk to Board about how she uses her expertise in lifestyle medicine to care for colleagues.
Dr Beth is an Emergency Department Consultant with a specialist interest and qualification in lifestyle medicine. She uses this to offer advice and care for colleagues from all professions and backgrounds in our organisation. Dr Beth talked about how her own experience, leading the Emergency Department through difficult times including the Covid pandemic, led her to want to practice lifestyle medicine to help colleagues. As far as she is aware, she is the only doctor undertaking this kind of work for colleagues within an acute hospital trust.
What is lifestyle medicine? Dr Beth describes it as: “using the best evidence we have to offer advice around what we should eat, how we should exercise, managing our stress and optimising our sleep.” You can hear more about lifestyle medicine from Dr Beth in the video below.
Dr Beth has helped hundreds of colleagues, offering 1-1, motivational group sessions, through workshops, education sessions and the use of videos. She is connected with occupational health and her ambition is to grow the lifestyle medicine offer as a way of supporting colleagues at UHP. The Board welcomed Dr Beth’s approach and discussed how they could support and embed this. Here are just a couple of the comments Dr Beth has received from appreciative colleagues:
"Beth opened my eyes to simple changes that have had massive benefits to my life and for that I will be eternally grateful!"
"Having felt low and overwhelmed about how I could move forward in improving my overall health on entering the consultation with Beth, I left feeling positive and optimistic. She was knowledgeable and clearly passionate about improving the wellbeing of NHS staff in particular……"
Watch this Lifestyle Medicine video by Dr Beth
Leading in clinical excellence
UHP was strongly represented at the recent Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) Conference in Birmingham, attended by over 1,200 delegates and opened with an address by Dr Ian Higginson, President of RCEM and Consultant in Emergency Medicine at University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP). Colleagues contributed to a range of presentations spanning end-of-life care, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine and sustainable emergency care, alongside 10 poster presentations, two of which were recognised among the top submissions. This strong presence reflects the expertise we have and our growing influence on national practice.
Our Liver Service has successfully retained its Improving Quality in Liver Services (IQILS) accreditation for a further year, recognising continued delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care against rigorous national standards set by the Royal College of Physicians. This achievement reflects the sustained hard work and professionalism of the hepatology and multidisciplinary teams, building on the service’s accreditation since 2022, and demonstrating ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, strong clinical governance, and consistently positive patient experience.
We have been formally awarded full accreditation for our endoscopy service at Derriford Hospital by the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) on Endoscopy, following a reassessment in January 2026. This achievement confirms that the service has met national quality standards and is a significant endorsement of the quality, safety and effectiveness of the service. It reflects the sustained commitment of the team to continuous improvement and high standards of patient care.
As part of our commitment to compassionate, high-quality care, we have introduced a dedicated End of Life Care room within the South West Liver Unit. Opening in March 2026, the space provides greater privacy, dignity and comfort for patients and their families at a critical time. Early feedback from families being very positive.
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