University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) and the University of Birmingham today (Thursday 1 December) announced a groundbreaking joint working agreement to be known as Birmingham Health Partners (BHP).

The move will strengthen the relationship between the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) and the University, enabling patients to benefit from new therapies delivered by expert clinicians working alongside world-leading clinical trials teams.

Birmingham is one of very few centres internationally that can complete the full circle of translational medicine, the so-called bench-to-bedside process. The new agreement will fuel partnership projects in key research areas, including cancer, immunology and infection; experimental medicine and chronic disease.

The development builds on a long history of collaborative achievement and is intended to strengthen and develop the global reputations of both institutions.

Landmark collaborations to date include:

• the first Cancer Research UK Centre, which is leading international progress in developing treatments for a wide range of cancers and is a major centre for clinical trials
• Birmingham Clinical Research Academy, which promotes and provides facilities for clinical research
• the Institute for Biomedical Research (IBR), where clinicians and researchers work together to transfer basic medical research into the hospital clinic
• the Centre for Clinical Haematology, a leading clinical research facility which develops and delivers novel drug and transplant therapies for patients with blood cancers
• the "Golden Triangle" of translational medical research between the University medical school’s IBR, UHB and the prestigious, jointly run Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility,  allowing a seamless interface between academic and clinical research

In January this year the two centres celebrated a milestone with the opening of the £20 million National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Centre for Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology, a joint trauma care venture between the University, UHB, the Department of Health and the Ministry of Defence. It is headed by Professor Sir Keith Porter, the UK’s only Professor of Clinical Traumatology.

Other recent developments include the launch of the new Centre for Translational Inflammation Research, based at QEHB, which brings together staff from a host of specialist areas to work on major collaborative research programmes in state-of-the-art laboratories.

Transitional Director of the BHP will be Professor Charlie Craddock, Director of the Centre for Clinical Haematology. He said: “This visionary partnership between the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and the University of Birmingham will not only allow us to deliver world-class therapies to patients in the West Midlands region, but will act as a magnet for inward investment by pharmaceutical companies and a catalyst for economic regeneration.”

Julie Moore, Chief Executive of UHB, said: “The Trust and University already have a successful relationship in delivering excellent, innovative research projects and this latest collaboration will only enhance our reputation as a world-class academic and healthcare partnership.”

Professor David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, commented: “There are very few places in the world which possess the strategic advantages of Birmingham for the assessment of new treatments. The Birmingham Health Partners will build on the combined strength of both institutions and demonstrate the sustainable benefits that alliances of this kind can achieve.”

Councillor Sir Albert Bore, who is Chairman of UHB and also serves on the BHP board, said: “This new partnership is a timely and welcome development which will ensure the University and Trust maximise the marvellous facilities provided by the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.”