Mayor of London launches new health campus
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Published
13 June 2024
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The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan joined anchor organisation leaders from across east London to celebrate the launch of a dedicated Health Campus at the University of East London on Wednesday 12 June.
Ceremonies at the University’s Stratford Campus also marked the creation of the One East London Network - a new collaboration aimed at tackling health inequalities and improving health outcomes for millions of people.
Joining Mayor Khan and UEL Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Amanda Broderick to celebrate the launch of the two initiatives were leaders from NHS organisations, GP networks, local authorities, businesses and the Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz OBE.
A tree-planting ceremony attended by both mayors and the Vice-Chancellor was held to mark the creation of the new Health Campus. It will train the inter-professional health and social care workforce of the future and also become a hub for ground-breaking research into community health care, preventive care, and overall wellbeing.
Professor Broderick said, “For students and staff, this campus will be a cutting-edge hub for innovation and learning, offering state-of-the-art health technology to help equip future professionals with the skills needed to excel. But the campus will be more than a place of learning and physical expansion; it will support our commitment to actively engage with the social determinants of health and to dismantle the barriers that perpetuate the health inequalities seen across east London.
“As a civic anchor in Newham for over 125 years with a purpose of tackling inequalities wherever they are found, we know that partnership promises the most impactful and effective action. Through the One East London Network, the area’s anchor institutions are, for the first time, coming together to co-create sustainable solutions to difficult challenges and improve lives in the communities we serve. With a focus on primary care, we will be taking steps in coming months to drive forward innovation in an integrated approach for health and social care education, developing and testing new models of community-based and preventative health and social care at a local level, that will have a tangible, positive impact for citizens, families, patients, health & care workers and learners.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said,
“London is the greatest city in the world, but shockingly the health of Londoners can vary greatly due to where they live, their background and income levels. I’m committed to tackling the deep and damaging inequalities in our city which is why I’m delighted that the University of East London is launching a new dedicated Health Campus and that leaders in east London are uniting to improve the health of local people. By working together and embracing bold ideas, we can help to tackle the challenges that Londoners face and improve the care they need as we build a fairer, healthier and more prosperous London for everyone.”
The One East London Network, the other initiative launched at the event, also aims to improve the healthcare outcomes for east Londoners. It will see anchor institutions from the area coming together for the first time, to help drive innovation in health and social care education, developing and testing new models of community-based and preventative health and social care.
The occasion at Stratford also saw the inauguration of the first cohort of UEL Honorary Health Fellows. This new programme recognises health professionals from across east London for their expertise and commitment to addressing health inequalities and advancing community education. The fellows, many of them GPs, or professionals from the wider primary health and social care sector will work with UEL, providing expert advice and invaluable insights into the health needs of east London communities.
The Mayor of London presided over the inauguration of both the Health Fellows and the latest members of UEL’s already established Industrial and Law Fellows, who hail from a range of sectors including finance, government and the law. They work with UEL to enhance educational and professional opportunities for the University’s students.
One of the new Health Fellows, Dr Subir Sen, Medical Director of the Newham Health Collaborative, stressed the importance of the work they will do. He said: ‘Having trained in Newham and worked as a GP in Stratford for the last 20 years, I am very passionate about developing hyperlocal services around patients, and also training and retaining the workforce talent we have in the area. I am very pleased to join this fellowship which I believe will help develop a cohort of multi-disciplinary health professionals in east London, in collaboration with UEL.”
UEL offers a wide range of allied health courses to prospective students.
Image Credits: SimonCallaghanPhotography.com
