We are proud to confirm our Teaching Trust status - the first step to becoming a University Trust.
The journey to Teaching and University Hospitals Trust status requires sustainable, integrated partnerships between an NHS Trust and academic institutions. We have been working together with colleagues from the Faculty of Health and Medicine at Lancaster University (LU) in recognition of its significant teaching commitment, with Lancaster University the primary partner for the Trust in the work towards University Hospitals status. As a Trust, we continue to collaborate with a number of other universities in the region in research and education, which will support this work.
We host students from a number of Lancaster University programmes, including their Medical School and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology course. Many Trust colleagues hold Lancaster University honorary academic titles, reflecting the depth of multi-disciplinary engagement in research and education. Additionally, nursing, social work and allied health professionals in the Trust contribute to the university's teaching and research programmes. Many of these colleagues supported the successful bid for a Mental Health Research Group award to Lancaster University from the National Institute of Health and Care Research.
Together, the two organisations are looking forward to an ongoing partnership focused on contributing to the health and wellbeing of the region’s population, sharing a commitment to continuous improvement in healthcare, and delivering the transformation required to achieve the goals of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan.
Recognition as a Teaching Trust reflects the work in research, education, innovation and engagement already carried out, particularly across five shared priorities: digital health, health inequalities, mental health, ageing, and children and young people.
Chris Oliver, Chief Executive at LSCFT said:
“I’m proud to now call us a Teaching Trust. This is so important for our patients, their families and carers, and our colleagues. For our patients and our population, it means we can enhance our commitment to improving population health, using the skills, knowledge, and innovation of educational institutions locally to enhance our patient outcomes. With greater research involvement and evidence-based practice, we will be able to make improvements to deliver the best care for the population we serve.
It is also a really important step for our colleagues, demonstrating our commitment to being an employer of choice, attracting clinical colleagues to our region and our Trust. It signifies our ongoing commitment to developing our workforce and our investment in one of our aims - joy and pride in our work - with the support and commitment of a great university partnership.”
Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone OBE, Executive Dean for Health and Medicine at Lancaster University, said:
“Lancaster’s longstanding strategic partnership with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, forged over many years of wide-ranging collaborative activity, meant the University was pleased to offer its full support for LSCFT in attaining Teaching Trust status.
This award is an important milestone which reflects the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to high-quality education, impactful research and innovation in health and care.
Our relationship with LSCFT helps create valuable opportunities for Lancaster University students, supports workforce development across the region and strengthens our joint ability to address major health challenges through research and promoting evidence-based practice. We look forward to continuing to work closely together as this partnership develops further.”
Dr Gareth Thomas, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer at LSCFT said:
“We are delighted to work together with Lancaster University to gain Teaching Trust status and even more exciting is that we are now well on our way to becoming a University Trust. Our partnership will not only celebrate the success of current activities but looks ahead to set priorities for the future and the work that now needs to take place to secure University Trust status.
The partnership between LSCFT and LU will now focus on improving the scope and scale of healthcare research, innovation and education, appointing to new joint posts for research and education leaders, and working together on funding bids and projects such as the recent £11m awarded to LU with LSCFT as the host organisation, driving one of five new NIHR Mental Health Research Groups across England.
Together we will also work on mutually beneficial events and conferences, and we are excited to be launching our event, ‘Made in the North - The Improvement and Digital Innovation Conference’, scheduled for early July 2026. We will be bringing you more information very soon.”
Read more about our Teaching Trust status and partnership working.
