NHS organisations in Bristol and the south west collaborate through a nationally-recognised Academic Health Science Centre partnership with University of Bristol, to directly inform health education, patient care and policy improvements.  

The University of Bristol is a world leader in population health research and translational population health research. The University has a committed group of researchers with a large breadth and depth of expertise, and clinical academics who are focused on prevention and treatment in almost every specialty, including mental health and paediatrics. Expertise is also drawn from across the University, including from engineering, robotics and psychology. This integration of knowledge is fundamental to healthcare delivery.  

Professor David Wynick is a clinical academic at the University of Bristol; joint director of research for two university hospitals, the director of research for North Bristol NHS Trust and the director of Bristol Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre.  

Professor David Wynick says

"All of my roles come together under the banner of the University of Bristol and the NHS across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucester, and we work closely together. Bristol Health Partners integrates the clinical work, research, and education across our entire system, for 1.1 million people. This ensures that we deliver health and care to the very best of our abilities, so all of our patients have the very best outcomes.’’ 

University of Bristol researchers are dedicated to working with other healthcare professionals on important clinical and scientific questions to benefit patients and the wider population, not just in the UK, but worldwide. The University provides the academic rigour and evidence base to underpin reconfigurations of clinical services.  

A recent example is from the Covid-19 pandemic. From the first lockdown in March 2020, it became clear very rapidly that academics and clinicians needed to integrate research at scale and pace to get the results into policy recommendations quickly.