New £28 Million Health Improvement Initiative in East Midlands

NOTTINGHAM, England, February 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

A unique collaboration, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) between universities, the NHS, industry, local authorities and the public from across the East Midlands will be launched on the 14 February at the Holywell Conference Centre, Loughborough. The NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care East Midlands (CLAHRC EM) brings together world leading health research institutes and front line NHS staff to work with partners in industry, local government and the public to carry out research focused on the health priorities of the East Midlands.

Supported by more than £28m of funding from the NIHR and more than fifty partners, CLAHRC EM will not only undertake health research but ensure that the findings are put into practice as soon as possible. The partnership will also support the NHS in establishing the most efficient and effective ways of turning good ideas into practical results.

Professor Kamlesh Khunti, Director of NIHR CLAHRC EM, said: "This is a wonderful opportunity to develop new ways of improving health across the region. With life expectancy in the East Midlands lower than the England average and prevalence of long term conditions, such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and poor mental health, being much higher in some inner city areas, it is vital that we find new ways of tackling these issues. This collaboration across all the people involved in health care and research in the region provides a unique framework in which to carry out and implement studies that will mean a real difference to local people."

Professor Mike Cooke CBE, Chair of NIHR CLAHRC EM, said "The East Midlands hosts some of the best health researchers in the world and the region has an enviable track record of success and achievement. CLAHRC EM will enable us to build on their skills, experience and dedication to deliver projects that match what the NHS is telling us is important to them. However the key element will be transforming good research outcomes into practical improved health outcomes on the ground. I am proud that my Trust, Nottinghamshire Healthcare, has been selected by the NIHR to host CLAHRC EM and delighted by the opportunity to support this initiative."

CLAHRC EM website is http://www.clahrc-em.nihr.ac.uk

Follow us on twitter at @CLAHRC_EM

Notes for editors:

1. Professor Kamlesh Khunti is a general practitioner with a proven track record in NHS and academic leader-ship, research, innovation, service redesign. He Co-leads the Diabetes & Metabolic Medicine Research Group at University of Leicester which undertakes research into early identification and interventions in people with diabetes and vascular disease, including black and minority ethnic (BME) populations. He is an advisor to the Department of Health's (DH) National Screening Committee on Vascular Risk, Chair of the DH-Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Committee on the Classification of Diabetes, Chair of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidelines on Prevention of Diabetes, Clinical Advisor for the Diabetes NICE-led Quality and Outcome Framework (QOF) Panel and Secretary of the Primary Care Study Group of the European Society of Diabetes (EASD).
   
2. Professor Mike Cooke CBE is Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust. Mike is an experienced, innovative Chief Executive who joined Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust in June 2007.  He has worked in many Trusts and NHS organisations around the country.  He has experience working at many levels within the Acute Hospital, Mental Health and Primary Care sectors.  Mike is a Chief Executive who has a depth of leadership skills coupled with an exceptional track record of developments in the NHS and local public sector. Mike was a runner up in the NHS Leader of the Year 2009. He led South Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust to be one of the first Mental Health FTs, helped the acquisition of Shropshire Services, and the Award for NHS Foundation Trust of the Year 2006/07. He has also taken Nottinghamshire Healthcare to FT standard and his leadership in mental health was acknowledged with a CBE in the Queen's New Year Honours in January 2011. Mike is an Honorary Professor in Healthcare Innovation and Learning at Nottingham University Business School. He is on the National Institute for Health Research Advisory Board, Chairs the local Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire Collaboration in Leading Applied Research [CLAHRC] , and Chairs the Trent CLRN Board.  Mike is also a member of the NHS National Provider Reference Group and is a Lecturer at the Nottingham Recovery Education Centre.
   
3. About the National Institute for Health Research
   The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government's strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For further information, visit the NIHR website (http://www.nihr.ac.uk).

For more information please contact Julie Grant on +44(0)115-993-4529/ +44(0)7889-904417, julie.grant@nottshc.nhs.uk or Bill O' Leary on +44(0)7887-653056 or wjo2@le.ac.uk