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News from University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Sharing the latest news from University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP)
One of our key partners recently encouraged us, here at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, to shout loud and hard about the progress we are making. They said local people are beginning to notice and have better experiences of care here, but that we shouldn’t hide our light under a bushel. On that note, I have to say a huge ‘Thank you’ to all our teams for their continued compassion and dedication in serving our communities throughout 2026/27.
We are bursting with pride to end the year leading nationally in research, ranking first in England for patient recruitment into NIHR clinical trials. We beat every other hospital! At the same time, we are seeing urgent patients more quickly, with strong improvements recognised by the CQC, including reduced ambulance handover times and improved four-hour performance. My latest favourite statistic is this: average ambulance handover times reduced from 125 minutes to 44 minutes, which meant overall that patients waited a total of 191 fewer days in ambulances in our car park this year compared to last year!
We are also treating patients more quickly for planned care, meeting the 18-week standard, and continuing to develop our specialist services as one of the country’s 27 Major Trauma Centres.
Working closely with our community partners, we are expanding care closer to home through initiatives like virtual wards, our award-winning mobile X-ray service, and our ‘Home First’ approach, which has significantly increased timely discharge and supported patient independence. We are also investing in prevention and diagnostics, including lung cancer screening and a new Community Diagnostic Centre in Plymouth city centre. We are partnering with local GPs in an exciting AI adventure to better predict and identify who is at risk from Cardiovascular Disease and help them with earlier intervention. Our teams’ achievements have been widely recognised, through significant success at the South West NHS Excellence Awards, with UHP teams winning 3 awards and being runners-up for many more.
Since joining UHP, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with our executive team to set clear priorities for the year ahead. We are focusing on the following four key areas:
eliminating care in corridors
strengthening how our teams work together
improving access to first outpatient appointments
ensuring we live within our agreed budgets
I hope the articles that follow bring these priorities to life as well as provide a sense of the tangible progress already underway.
Neil Macdonald, Chief Executive
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University Hospitals Plymouth is getting an Epic Electronic Patient Record this summer
We are on the brink of the largest digital transformation we’ve ever undertaken within the Devon healthcare system, introducing a Devon wide electronic patient record (EPR) using the Epic software through our One Devon EPR programme.
An electronic patient record (EPR) is the collection of patient health information in a digital format, that can be shared across different health care settings. It will include a range of data, including medication and allergies, immunisation status, laboratory test results, radiology images, vital signs and personal statistics like age and weight. It will also be the place where we book appointments, request tests and prescribe medicines.
The Devon wide EPR will bring together all patient records across three partners:
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
The One Devon EPR Programme successfully implemented the Epic system at Torbay and South Devon NHS foundation Trust in April, and we are now in the final preparations for the go-live here at University Hospitals NHS trust overnight on Thursday 23rd July. Introducing the Epic system has been achieved through collaborative working across all organisations over a number of years, benefiting from the experience gained from the Royal Devon. Clinical and administrative teams have jointly designed the shared system to standardise delivery of care across Devon. Digital teams have provided the underlying infrastructure and devices to enable our staff to support patient needs across all sites where this care is delivered, including patients’ homes. Important information from our legacy systems will be available within the new system to ensure that staff still have access to all the information they need.
Not only will a shared EPR be truly transformational for staff it will also bring additional benefits for patients with the MY CARE patient portal, a digital service that makes it easy for patients to access their healthcare information. Accessible on a computer, phone or tablet, the patient portal brings information about appointments, test results and other medical details together in one convenient place.
Chronic Pain Management moves to Marjon University
The Chronic Pain Management team at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust have officially moved into a new, purpose-designed space at Plymouth Marjon University, marking an exciting new chapter for the service and the patients it supports.
The new location provides modern, spacious facilities designed to enhance patient care while creating opportunities to expand the range of support available for people living with chronic pain. The purpose-built environment features nine clinic rooms, a dedicated group therapy space and access to an on-site gym, enabling the team to deliver a broader range of pain management approaches.
Deputy Directorate Manager, Michaela Slocombe, said: “For patients, the move means a more comfortable and welcoming environment in which to receive care, including those accessing palliative support. The additional space will also allow the team to develop new programmes that focus on helping patients manage pain and improve their overall wellbeing.”
A memorandum of understanding was signed by Marjon and UHP last summer, strengthening collaboration between the two organisations. The continued commitment to joint working includes sharing space and the utilisation of Marjon students and graduates to support health and wellbeing of staff and patients whilst supporting their professional development.
“This partnership opens the door to closer joint working in areas such as shared facilities and supporting the health and wellbeing of both patients and staff,” continued Michaela. “It also provides valuable opportunities for students to develop their professional skills within real healthcare settings.”
Laurence Gully, Director of Campus and Commercial Services at Plymouth Marjon University, said: “We are delighted to welcome this important NHS service, and our local community can always expect a warm welcome when visiting the University.
“We have invested significantly in a new Health and Wellbeing Hub and our proximity to the main hospital site is essential for nursing and allied health students, who benefit from high quality on‑campus facilities while completing their clinical placements nearby. To support patients accessing the new clinic, we have released additional parking capacity on campus. We recognise how vital accessible parking is for people living with pain or mobility challenges and are committed to helping make their appointments as smooth and stress‑free as possible.”
UHP scores 99% for Condition, Care and Maintenance in national Patient-Led Assessments
Standards of Condition, appearance and maintenance at University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) Derriford Hospital site have been rated as 99%, in a recent PLACE assessment. PLACE is part of a national system that aims to help NHS organisations understand how well they are meeting the needs of their patients and identify where improvements can be made and stands for Patient-Led Assessment of the Care Environment (PLACE)
The inspection team, made up of at least 50% patient assessors including relatives, carers, friends, patient advocates or volunteers, who offer a non-technical view across a range of environmental and non-clinical aspects. They rate how standards are being met in 8 main domains:
Cleanliness
Food
Organisational Food
Ward Food
Privacy, Dignity & Wellbeing
Condition, Appearance and Maintenance
Dementia
Disability
Dementia and disability environments scored particularly high with measurable improvements such as handrails and dementia friendly signage being rolled out consistently across the hospital.
All UHP sites including Tavistock and South Hams Hospitals, scored above the national benchmark for patient Privacy, dignity and wellbeing. We scored higher than the national average in five key areas: Cleanliness (98.6%), Privacy, dignity and wellbeing (93.7%), Condition, appearance and maintenance (99%), Dementia (89.9%) and Disability (89.1%).
“These results are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our Estates, Facilities and clinical teams who take great pride in providing a safe, clean and welcoming environment for patients, visitors and colleagues across our sites. Achieving such strong scores across multiple areas reflects the collective effort of many teams working together every day to maintain high standards” says John Stephens, Director of Estates and Facilities
“I’d also like to extend my sincere thanks to our patient assessors who give their time and insight. Their perspective is invaluable in helping us see our hospitals through the eyes of patients and their families, and their feedback plays an important role in helping us continue to improve the environment in which care is delivered.”
PLACE is an annual snapshot that gives organisations a clear picture of how their environment is seen by those using it. Scores are used to produce a focussed action plan for proactive improvements. The scores from across UHP sites, including Tavistock and South Hams Hospitals show consistent improvement across all categories between 2019 and 2025, although different areas are assessed.
Amanda Wilton, a member of the Patient Council and a volunteer, is one of the PLACE assessors and says:“I wanted to be involved in PLACE assessments to make a positive difference to patients, carers and staff. Staff are so busy delivering care that sometimes they miss or don't have time to see or report things that are not as they should be. Patients, carers and staff deserve a clean and well-maintained environment”.
Paul Roberts, a UHP volunteer known as Robbie, is in his third year as a PLACE assessor and says, “What impressed me is that we come up with an action plan that staff and staff were quick to implement any recommended improvements”.
Watch our short video featuring two of our assessors and how they carry out their work.
Major milestone as keys for the new Plymouth Community Diagnostic Centre handed over to UHP
The construction stage of the new Plymouth Community Diagnostic Centre (PCDC)is now complete, with the keys formally handed over to University Hospitals PlymouthNHS Trust(UHP).
All internal construction work has been finished,and staff can now begin moving into the building and preparing for the first patient appointments next month. While some final external works are still underway, these will continue over the coming weeksand be completed before the building opens.
Locatedon Western Approach in Plymouth City Centre,thePCDCwillprovidea wide range of vital diagnostic tests, scans and checks in a convenient, community-based setting, helping improve access to local NHS services and reduce waiting times.
Deputy Director of the Future Hospital Programme at UHP, Nicki Collas, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have reached this important milestone.This marks a significant step forward in improving access to vital diagnostic services for people across our city.
“The new centre will make a real difference to patients by providing quicker, more convenient access to tests and scans closer to home, helping to reduce waiting times and support earlier diagnosis and treatment. We are incredibly proud of what this facility will deliver for our community and look forward to welcoming patients through the doors.
“We are also extremely grateful to our construction partners, BAM, who have been outstanding throughout this project. Their professionalism, collaboration and commitment have ensured the centre has been delivered on time and to a high standard. It has been a pleasure to work together to bring this important facility to life for the people of Plymouth.”
Operating seven days a week from 8am to 8pm, the new centre will offerthe following services (appointments via referral only):
CT, MRI,X-rayand Ultrasound scans
Cardiology, lung function, vascular and neurophysiology appointments
Booked appointments for blood tests
Adult audiology services
The centrewill playan important rolein delivering faster access to diagnostics, supporting earlier diagnosis and treatment for patients across the city.By bringing services closer to where people live, the centre will make it easier and more convenient for patients to access essential NHS diagnostics, improving patient experience while strengthening community-based healthcare provision.
Image: (L-R) Nicki Collas, Deputy Director Future Hospital Programme, Freya Edwards Project Manager Future Hospital Programme, Greg Browne, Construction Manager BAM Construction
Planning application submitted for further health development at Colin Campbell Court
A planning application has been submitted to Plymouth City Council for a new health development at Colin Campbell Court.
The second Community Diagnostic Centre will provide a range of integrated acute, primary, and community diagnostic services. It will be based at Colin Campbell Court, alongside the recently developed Community Diagnostic Centre, which is scheduled to open this summer.
John Stephens, Director of Estate and Facilities at University Hospitals Plymouth said: “This planning application represents another positive step in the continued regeneration of Plymouth’s West End and the development of Colin Campbell Court as a centre for modern health services.
“By bringing NHS facilities into the heart of the city, close to where people live, work and shop, we can make it easier for communities to access a range of health and care services while supporting the wider revitalisation of the area. It reflects the strong partnership between the NHS and Plymouth City Council to create healthier communities and a thriving city centre.”
The location in the city’s West End, is key as it means we can offer high quality diagnostics tests to people close to where they live, making it easier for them to attend appointments.
Councillor Mary Aspinall, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care said:
“Yet more good news about improving health care in Plymouth which will not only give our residents easier access to the tests they need, it will give our West End regeneration plans another huge shot in the arm.
“I know there’s been a lot of work quietly going on behind the scenes to get to this stage and it’s great to see sizable investment and effort being made to tackle health inequalities where they are most needed.
“We are trying to move towards more preventative care and being able to provide testing facilities near where people live and shop is crucial to this goal.”
Image: artists impression of the proposed building
Our #BehindTheBuilding campaign shines a light on the people, partnerships and stories shaping University Hospitals Plymouth’s new £247m Emergency Care Building.
As part of the Future Hospital Programme, it goes beyond the construction itself to focus on the human side of the project, celebrating the wide range of roles involved, from design and build teams to the staff who will bring the building to life when it opens. Through these stories, we’re showcasing the passion, expertise and collaboration driving this transformational development.
In the first of it's series, we talked to Dr Ian McCarthy, Consultant in Emergency Medicine:
UHP teams are regional champions for three NHS Excellence Awards categories
UHP have been recognised as regional champions on three categories at this year’s NHS Excellence Awards, celebrating outstanding contributions to patient care, partnership working and service improvement.
The NHS Excellence Awards highlight work that demonstrates impact, innovation and learning that can be shared across the wider NHS. It also celebrates the people and local teams already driving the changes envisioned in the 10 Year Health Plan and inspire others to adopt and adapt proven ways of improving access, quality and patient experience.
The trust’s reginal award-winning teams are:
Delivering Value Award - Drugless CT Coronary Angiography service
Working in Partnership Award - A System Wide Partnership for Compassionate End of Life Care
Quality Improvement Award - Acute Medical Admission Pathways
As regional champions, the teams have been invited to attend the NHS ConfedExpo 2026 in Manchester. An awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 10 June, where national winners will be announced.
Carl Roobottom, Consultant Radiologist, said: “We’re incredibly proud to see that we have been recognised as regional champions for Delivering Value in the NHS Excellence Awards for our work on CTCA Service.
"This recognition reflects a great deal of hard work by a multidisciplinary team who have been focused on improving access to diagnostics while ensuring the best possible use of NHS resources. The service was developed with patients at the centre, along with rising demand, consultant workforce constraints and limited compliance with NICE CG95 guidance. The Trust redesigned the CTCA pathway to eliminate the need for IV beta blockers and empower specialist cardiac CT radiographers to independently run high‑throughput CTCA lists.
"Being recognised at a regional level is an important acknowledgment of the impact this work has had, and we’re proud to be able to share our learning more widely with colleagues across the NHS.”
Alison Griffiths, Lead Nurse for End of Life and Palliative Care shared: "Working in partnership in end-of-life care is about coming together. By working as one system, we create space for what is often lost in busy healthcare environments: time, honesty, compassion, and dignity. It means recognising when care should shift from doing more, to doing what is right, supporting patients to be comfortable, heard, and, wherever possible, in the place they want to be.
"We are incredibly proud of the work that happens across UHP and our community partners, to care for patients at End of Life and want to thank all the staff who go above and beyond to deliver the care needed to achieve the dignity patients deserve.
"For families, it brings reassurance in the midst of uncertainty. They feel held, informed, and supported at a time that can feel overwhelming. For staff, it creates confidence and connection, reminding us that even when we cannot change the outcome, we can profoundly shape the experience. Recognition beyond the Trust matters because it shines a light on what is possible.”
Sam Evans, Clinical Director, Clinical Outcomes and Effectiveness (SEC Division) shared: "The acute medicine team are proud to have been selected as the regional champion for the NHS Excellence Award in the Quality Improvement Category and for the improvements we have delivered to patient care in our service.
"At UHP we have faced sustained pressure across urgent and emergency care, we introduced a new model enabling appropriate patients to be admitted directly to acute medicine, safely bypassing the Emergency Department. This was supported by an evidence-based referral pathway, a new Medical Take Co-ordinator role to triage all referrals, and the transformation of our Acute Medicine Unit into a Medical Receiving Unit. Over 18 months, more than 6,000 patients have benefited from direct admission.
“This clinically led, research-informed improvement has delivered safer, faster, and more efficient care, while easing system-wide pressures across urgent and emergency care. Regional recognition of this work is a credit to the acute medicine teams that delivered this improvement under difficult operational conditions.”
Neil Macdonald, Chief Executive at UHP, said: “University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust is incredibly proud to see three teams recognised as regional champions in the NHS Excellence Awards.
"These awards highlight work that delivers real impact for patients, families and staff, and that demonstrates the importance of collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement across our services."
Regional judges also agreed that the standard of the nominations were of such a high calibre that they also awarded second and third runners-up place in the 10 categories, including some of our teams at UHP:
Patient involvement and choice award: 2nd place - The Young Persons Patient Council: Putting Youth Voice at the Heart of Care, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Sustainable healthcare award: 3rd place - The Reusable Curtains Project, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Leadership award:3rd place- Kandarp Thakkar, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Congratulations to our regional champions, and sincere thanks to everyone who shared their work and helped showcase the range of excellent care and improvement taking place across our services.
The Trust looks forward to supporting the teams as they represent the region at NHS ConfedExpo, which takes place on 10-11 June and help share learning across the NHS.
The Trust would also like to recognise the many other teams and colleagues who submitted entries for this year’s awards. The submissions reflected a high standard of work, innovation and commitment to improving care, and played an important role in showcasing the breadth of excellence across the organisation.
We look forward to supporting the regional winners as they share their learning on a national stage and thanking all staff who took part in this year’s awards.
In October 2025 the Security team at UHP were confronted with a situation involving an armed individual on site at Derriford Hospital. Subsequently awarded bravery certificates, the team of 6 are now sharing their story of how they worked together to disarm the individual and prevent the situation escalating.
Ryan Goodwin, Fire safety advisor at UHP, was the first to notice the individual had a knife: “I was completely shocked. I asked him why he had the weapon, and he said he intended to cause harm to someone. I told the man he had to leave and managed to get him towards an exit. Once he had gone out of one of the exits, I alerted security”
Security, having already been alerted about the individual quickly arrived on scene where they worked with Ryan to locate the man to prevent him re-entering the hospital.
Josh Mutton, Security Officer, said: “Once we had managed to catch up with the individual, my colleague George used a nearby unused traffic barrier to help contain him and to put some distance between us and the weapon. As we managed to get closer, we were able to safely disarm the individual, and we detained him until the police arrived to arrest him”.
Reflecting on the situation, and how it felt to know their actions prevented any potential harm to patients or staff, Ayoola Oyebadejo, NHSP Security, said: “When we first saw the knife, we were all aware that it had the potential to cause a lot of harm. We all worked together in a dangerous situation to prevent escalation, and it feels amazing to know that we did protect people”.
Security officers Zack Sambore, George Morris, and Pavlos Toursiadis were also part of the team who bravely dealt with this incident.George said: “It really was a team effort, no one shied away, we all got involved. I know that I personally felt like I had achieved something that day, as if our team had not been there, the situation could have ended badly”.
Everyone involved emphasised that teamwork was the key for their success that day.
Josh said: “We never know what each day will bring, but having experienced this, I know that whatever comes through the hospital doors, our security team can deal with it”.
All six members of staff involved in this incident were awarded certificates of bravery at a Trust board meeting for their actions on the day.Reflecting on what it felt like to receive this award, Pavlos said: “It’s something we do day to day; we don’t come to work to be praised, but we all appreciate the recognition”.
The team are hugely appreciative of the certificates and thank their managers for the support they were given after the incident, as well as the recognition they received for their actions that day.
John Stephens, Director of Infrastructure & Site Services said: “We are proud of the team, and the work they do to keep the hospital safe every day. It is not expected of any of our security guards to put themselves in dangerous situations involving weapons, so the team having the confidence in each other to work together to diffuse this situation was very brave, and we are very thankful for their courage”.
UHP showcases excellence at the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Conference
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine Conference was recently held in Birmingham and attracted more than 1,200 delegates. Dr Ian Higginson, president of RCEM, launched the conference with a thought-provoking talk on what Emergency Medicine may look like in decades to come.
UHP was exceptionally well represented across all professional levels. Dr Annette Rickard and senior nurse Ali Griffiths delivered a presentation titled “Making Dying Better in the ED”, sharing their approach to supporting patients at the end of life.
Ali also spoke powerfully about the team’s efforts to de-medicalise these experiences, helping patients feel more connected to their loved ones during their final moments, which she described as “giving the patients back” to their families. They also spoke about empowering ED staff and the changes they have made to reduce admissions for patients in end of life care including streamlining the process of prescribing medications in ED.
Dr Beth Newstead, Consultant in Emergency Medicine tells us more about the event and the representation from University Hospitals Plymouth.
“Other speakers from Plymouth included Professor Jason Smith, revealing the results of the SWiFT trial (study of whole blood in pre-hospital trauma patients) which has recently been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Along with Laura Cottey, Jason also moderated, chaired and judged events. Dr Daisy Stevens and Sophie Underdown presented “How to turn your ED green: Tips and tricks for getting started.
Elsewhere UHP had 10 different posters on show with both Wing Commander Rob James and ACP Anita Cawley being selected as top poster presentations. Anita even got to meet HRH Princess Anne who was in attendance at the conference to talk about her poster on providing drug users with takeaway naloxone to administer in cases of overdose. There was also a very vocal support team in attendance which was noted by all. UHP certainly made their presence known in the most positive way possible”
Dr Beth Newstead also presented her own talk to attendees on “Is your lifestyle your best medicine? 5 top tips to help you find out”. Congratulations to all involved on their presentations and the fantastic representation of UHP.
Marjon and UHP team up to support the next generation of journalists and public communicators
A new volunteer student placement programme has launched between University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) and Plymouth Marjon University, enabling aspiring journalists to gain hands-on experience within the NHS.
Last week Lola Kingsland-Wain, Caitlin Kerswill and Ella Ward, second year students on the undergraduate Journalism course at Marjon, became the first Volunteer Placement Students to join the Trust’s Communications Team. Over the coming months, they will gain first-hand experience of working in NHS communications and engagement as part of their studies.
The launch of this programme strengthens the relationship between the Trust and Marjon’s BA (Hons) Journalism course, which tries to create meaningful opportunities for students to develop practical skills and build professional experience within the public sector.
Lewis Edwards, Deputy Head of Communications at the Trust, said: “We have wanted to establish this programme for some time now. The quality of the journalism courses at Marjon has seen graduated progress into local and national journalism roles, as well as careers in public sector communications.
“It is important that students have the opportunity to see first-hand the variety and pace of working in NHS. We have worked with a number of graduates from the programme over the years when they have come into employment in the local and national media, so being able to strengthen those links and support future talent early on is something we are really proud of.
“We have a wonderful relationship with the Journalism course. Our team are really looking forward to supporting opportunities for students to gain valuable experience, which we hope develops their portfolios and builds experiences for their future careers.”
Additionally, Lola, Caitlin and Ella have all registered as official Trust volunteers, joining the many members of the Trust’s “Orange Army”. Alongside their work with the Communications Team, this will also give them opportunities to experience other areas of volunteering across the Trust should they wish to do so.
The programme also builds on the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Trust and Marjon, which aims to strengthen collaboration between the two organisations in areas including education, workforce development and community wellbeing.
Journalism programme leader at Marjon, Mike Baker, is looking forward to seeing what untold stories the students can find after being given such privileged access to a major hospital.
“We’ve been trying to get this project started for so long, it’s just lovely to get started,” he said. “Connecting former Marjon Journalism graduates with current students is an added bonus, but it does validate how we teach storytelling techniques for use in all sorts of settings and contexts.
“Derriford is full of so many human stories, from the staff, patients, volunteers and visitors, it’s awesome to think we’ll be able to tell just some of them and bring them to a wider audience. And the idea that our students will be making such a positive difference to the lives of others really captures the values of our institution.”
Over the coming months, the students will work on a wide range of activities, including attending major event openings linked to ongoing capital developments, helping to identify and develop stories from across the Trust, and contributing creative ideas that support both their studies and wider Communications Team projects.
Several current and former members of the Communications Team are themselves graduates of Marjon’s journalism programme, making the initiative a particularly meaningful opportunity to strengthen the connection between the Trust and the University.
“Our aim is that the programme offers regular opportunities for second students each year,” added Lewis. “We hope Lola, Caitlin and Ella find the programme rewarding and gain insights to use towards their future career ambitions.”
Health Research, Education, Enterprise and Innovation Zone taking shape at Plymouth Science Park
A new Health Research, Education, Enterprise and Innovation Zone is rapidly taking shape in the north of Plymouth, as University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) expands its presence at Plymouth Science Park (PSP).
This development follows last year’sMemorandum of Understandingbetween UHP, the University of Plymouth, PSP and Plymouth City Council, which set out a shared ambition to create a vibrant hub for health innovation centred around the Derriford Hospital and Science Park estates.
Since the agreement was signed, UHP’s Research and Development team has taken up residency at PSP, joining colleagues from Digital and Innovation. Now, the Trust’s Department of Professional Healthcare Education has moved into its new permanent home on the campus.
The new facilities offer a modern, purpose-built learning environment equipped with specialist training technology, simulation equipment and enhanced audio-visual systems. These improvements mean more high-quality, in-person training can now be delivered on-site—just a short walk from Derriford Hospital—making it easier and more convenient for staff across the Trust to access specialist learning and development opportunities.
“Bringing our education, research, digital and innovation teams together on the PSP campus is a key step toward our ambition of becoming a research‑led University Hospital Trust,” said John Stephens, Director of Estates and Facilities.
“Co-locating these teams with partners from the University, PSP and industry creates the right environment for collaboration, knowledge exchange and the development of ideas that improve patient care.
“This move will accelerate health technology and innovation in the city by bringing clinicians, educators, researchers and innovators closer together, helping us turn new ideas into practical solutions for the NHS more quickly.
“It also enhances education and training for our staff, providing modern facilities close to the hospital where colleagues can access high-quality professional development.
“This long-term strategic partnership, and the relocation of our Education, Research and Digital teams to the Science Park, marks an important early milestone in building a thriving centre for health innovation in Plymouth.”
Councillor Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said: “Having opened Plymouth Science Park 30 years ago, it’s incredibly exciting to finally harness its close proximity to University Hospitals Plymouth. By bringing education, research and enterprise together under one roof, we’re unlocking powerful new opportunities for collaboration, innovation and economic growth. It’s inspiring to see partners across the city investing boldly in Plymouth’s future - helping to ensure our community remains a vibrant hub where ideas flourish, talent thrives and world‑changing innovation takes shape.”
Dave Hockton, Chief Executive Officer for PSP, adds: “Thanks to our joint collaboration and these recent moves by UHP teams, PSP now feels like a vibrant and energetic Science Park and back to occupation levels above pre-covid operation. Research and Development and Teaching and Learning in the Health and Health technology sectors aligns perfectly with PSP’s recently revised ‘Innovation starts here’ strategy. We look forward to working closely with UHP on the above and future initiatives for the benefit of Plymouth’s Health sector.”
Image: John Stephens, Director of Estates and Facilities (UHP) and Dave Hockton, CEO (PSP) with colleagues