Teesside meets the health challenge

The University of Teesside and its partners in the health service are pioneering new courses to help meet the challenges facing professionals in areas allied to medicine such as Physiotherapy, Radiography and Occupational Therapy.

Called Meeting the Challenge, the programmes are offered by the University’s highly-rated School of Health and Social Care. SEE NOTES: (1)

The new courses have the support of the professional bodies, local health employers and the Workforce Development Confederation and will run for the next five years. SEE NOTES (2)

Mr Paul Keane, Director of the School of Health and Social Care, says: “Teesside's good reputation for its nursing and professions allied to medicine courses played a key role in the University being selected for the new initiative.

"The Meeting the Challenge initiative will help to ensure that our students are not just able to gain their qualifications but that they are also fully-equipped for their future challenging roles in the health service and meet the requirements of the professional bodies.

"The new courses all support the School of Health & Social Care's mission of promoting Evidence-Based Practice and will help to put Teesside at the leading edge of developments in teaching the allied health professionals of the future”.

Mr Keane added: "I believe we were chosen for this latest initiative because of our success with 'Making a Difference' for nurses and midwives. Our graduates are highly commended by their employers." SEE NOTES (3)

He is delighted that the Middlesbrough-based university is once again helping to modernise the health service with new programmes that are more practice-orientated and encourage shared learning between different health disciplines such as nursing and those allied to medicine like radiography, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. The new scheme will also encourage the more flexible use of placements for students on courses. SEE NOTES (4)

* Also in the pipeline at the University of Teesside are new two-year Foundation Degrees. The new courses are being developed with employers and local further education colleges and will specialise in Early Years, Health Care Sciences and Health and Social Care. "These will give students the opportunities to pursue academic study while working for the health services or in other social care settings," said Mr Keane.

NOTES TO EDITORS

(1) The University of Teesside gained a quality teaching score of 23 out of 24 for its Nursing and Midwifery courses and 22 out of 24 for its courses in Professions Allied to Medicine - such as Physiotherapy, Radiography and Occupational - in 2000. The grading from the Higher Education Quality Assurance Agency represent the ‘Excellent’ quality level.

(2) The Workforce Development Confederation represents NHS Trusts, the independent health sector, primary care trusts, social services and universities.

(3) Two years ago, Teesside was selected as one of the first partnership sites for another health service initiative called 'Making a Difference'. This put Teesside at the forefront of contemporary developments in nurse education.

(4) The University of Teesside currently has over 500 full-time students on undergraduate courses in professions allied to medicine. It has also been given approval in principle for new two-year Masters courses in Occupational Therapy and Radiography. The new courses are due to start in February 2003. The University already runs a successful MSc in Physiotheray.

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