THE trust which runs Andover War Memorial Hospital has teamed up with a university to collaborate on research and education activities.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) has signed a partnership agreement with the University of Winchester which aims to increase research and education opportunities for both hospital staff and university academic departments.

The agreement formalises the partnership between HHFT and the university which began in April 2013 with the establishment of the Hampshire Collaboration for Health Research and Education in which both institutions are equal partners.

Alex Whitfield, chief executive of Hampshire Hospitals which also runs Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and the Royal County Hospital in Winchestter, said: “Hampshire Hospitals and the University of Winchester share the same values and the same aspirations for the populations we serve.

“Our vision is to provide outstanding care for every patient, and this collaboration absolutely supports that.

“It is a catalyst for innovation, it supports our staff to maximise their potential and it encourages some of the very best staff to come and work in our area.”

The partners are working together to identify future research and education collaborations and share expertise. The partnership also offers opportunities to bid for alternative research funding outside what is generally available to health researchers and the collaboration recently secured its first Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) grant, winning £55,000 for a project entitled ‘A Digital Infrastructure for Hampshire Health’.