Researchers in Southampton have the benefit of a dedicated facility to develop and support pioneering research into patient safety and essential care.
The Clinical Academic Facility, hosted by the University of Southampton’s School of Health Sciences at University Hospital Southampton, provides important research space for the next generation of clinical researchers in nursing and professions allied to health.
The space boasts modern laboratories and research facilities that will benefit patients at their bedside, including areas such as preventing pressure ulcers, nutritional support, infection control and end of life care.
The facility was developed following a number of successful initiatives across the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, including a new monitoring system for falls and bed sores, which led to a 25 per cent reduction in the number of serious pressure ulcers and 30 per cent drop in harm caused by avoidable falls within eight months.
In addition, a project to increase the use of bladder scanning for patients with urinary retention, led by Dr Jacqui Prieto , a senior clinical academic research fellow at the University of Southampton and practising nurse, and the infection prevention team at UHS, removed the need for catheters, which account for 79 per cent of urinary tract infections, in 53 per cent of cases.
The dedicated space acts as a ‘hub’ for Health Sciences doctoral and postdoctoral clinical academic programmes and is designed to develop first class clinical researchers to focus on essential care that matters most to patients and the NHS.
Working with partner NHS organisations the facility ensures a thriving clinical academic community to develop curiosity, creative drive and the robust research skills necessary to develop and improve patient care.