Manchester is recognised as a national leader in healthcare and research

Press release: 9 March 2009

The Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC) – a new partnership between the seven leading research institutes - has today achieved official national status, bringing huge benefits to local patients.

£100 million a year is currently invested in health research in Greater Manchester, but this national status will help bring in significant additional investment. It will also enable the Manchester partnership to compete globally with established centres, such as those in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Sweden and the Netherlands.

MAHSC was formed last year and is made up of six Greater Manchester NHS trusts and the University of Manchester. The Secretary of State, Alan Johnson, has announced that just five centres across the country have been designated as an Academic Health Science Centre, with Manchester being the only place outside of London and Cambridge.

Research in Manchester is already leading, both nationally and internationally in areas such as cancer, cardiovascular medicine and respiratory medicine and the new partnership will also include the full range of health research undertaken in hospitals, mental health and in the community.

Professor Alan North is the director of the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, and Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences at The University of Manchester. He said; “We are delighted to have received formal designation from the Secretary of State for Health. This followed scrutiny of our application by an eminent international panel of experts. It is recognition that our member Trusts and the University have the expertise, the motivation and the vision to lead the delivery of innovation into health care. Most importantly, it is good news for patients and the public in Greater Manchester and the North West who can expect advances in medical science to be more rapidly introduced into improvements in their health."

The Manchester Academic Health Science Centre’s application for national status was particularly praised for its vision over the next ten years. By 2013 it aims to establish a number of internationally competitive health research programmes together with a world class research infrastructure – and by 2020 it aims to ensure Greater Manchester will have become one of the world’s leading health research centres.

The seven members of Manchester AHSC are:

ENDS

Notes to editors

The four other successful centres named today are:

  • Cambridge University Health Partners
  • Imperial College
  • King’s Health Partners
  • UCL Partners

Further details

For more information please contact:

Aeron Haworth
Media Relations Officer
Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences
Tel: +44 (0)161 275 8383
Mobile: +44 (0)771 7881563
Email: aeron.haworth@manchester.ac.uk

Maria Jackson
Communications Officer
Tel: +44 (0)161 446 3613
Mobile: +44 (0)7795 413893
Email: maria.jackson@christie.nhs.uk

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