The Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow ‘must play a strong and unrelenting role, with collaboration to the fore’ as part of a landmark commitment to building healthier communities and a more diversely skilled NHS Scotland

That’s the view of leading innovation agency InnoScot Health after the Russell Group — which represents both universities — laid out its Healthier Communities 2030 plan last week.

This aims to deliver a better future by “working in partnership with the NHS, national and local government, industry and the communities they serve,” in turn producing “more medics, scientists and start-ups” by 2030.

InnoScot Health believes that both Scottish universities can leverage their expertise in innovation, research, and international partnerships to make a huge contribution to that commitment by helping improve patient outcomes while delivering a major boost to the country’s economy.

Innovation Commercialisation Manager Fiona Schaefer said: “The Russell Group has made significant pledges including the training of 181,000 graduates across its universities in subjects critical to health and care, while widening access to those professions for students of all backgrounds.

“As part of that commitment, the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh will be taking a leading role in creating more highly skilled jobs and bringing external investment into Scotland’s communities by supporting life sciences companies to create new technologies and treatments.

“The commitment will also be delivered in partnership with communities through local engagement events, helping to shape ambitions aligned directly to community need and lived experiences.

“I am in no doubt that both universities’ world-leading insights can also expand Scottish healthcare’s talent pipeline, making for a more innovative, more diversely skilled NHS working closer than ever with academia and industry.”

The Russell Group says that among its commitment to producing 181,000 graduates will be doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, social scientists, technology specialists, and engineers, aimed at “directly addressing workforce shortages across the NHS and public health”.

The universities, it says, will also harness their research expertise “to develop more cutting-edge medicines, treatments and technologies that save lives, and bring new business investment”.

It will also help academics and students start new companies, creating jobs and growth in communities.

Against the backdrop of an ageing population, it warned that “without action, pressures on our public health systems will continue to grow faster than the workforce and innovation that sustains them”.

Fiona added: “It is vital that NHS, industry and academia work collaboratively and this robust commitment represents a key example of how to meaningfully strengthen those partnerships for the benefit of Scotland’s patients and wider society.

“Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation and the country’s reliance on creating, growing, and retaining healthcare and life sciences talent has never been greater.”