New partnership to improve healthcare outcomes in India and the UK

 King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, with P.D. Hinduja Hospital and the Hinduja Foundation establish a Health Partners Academy

 Mumbai : King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, the Hinduja Foundation UK and P.D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre (owned and managed by the National Health & Education Society) have announced a new strategic partnership to advance training, education and research capacity building focused on healthcare outcomes.

King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’, and the National Health & Education Society signed a memorandum of agreement which will deliver King’s and Guy’s and St Thomas’ training in clinical and non-clinical short courses, research capacity building and executive education to health professionals in India and the UK to mutually share the best clinical practices.

Separately, a significant philanthropic gift from the Hinduja Foundation UK will enable health engineering research and clinical innovation through PhD and Masters scholarships for students from India in biomedical engineering and imaging sciences.

Together, these joint activities will create the Hinduja-King’s Health Partners Academy.

For the Hinduja family, this collaboration is in recognition of the late Srichand P Hinduja, former Chairman of the Hinduja Group, who sadly passed away last year and had dedicated much of his life to philanthropy.

With King’s leading research, teaching and focus on biomedical technologies, health data (including AI) and advanced therapies, it is hoped that as well as supporting healthcare provision in India, the partnership will help drive forward the development of new technologies to address global healthcare challenges in these areas.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Oliver Dowden visited the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering (LIHE) to welcome the partnership. As the first MedTech Venture Builder in the UK, LIHE will help new healthcare technologies navigate the complex and often blocked path to clinical and commercial success by bringing together world-class research and development expertise across academia, the NHS and the MedTech industry. LIHE is unlocking the potential of innovative medical technologies to change the lives of patients around the world.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Oliver Dowden said “I was delighted to welcome the new partnership between King’s College London and the Hinduja Foundation. This collaboration will only strengthen the UK’s close links to India, and create greater research capacity in healthcare engineering, clinical innovation, and advanced training.”

Rt Hon Victoria Atkins, Health and Social Care Secretary said: “We are proud to support the establishment of the Hinduja-King’s Health Partners Academy, which will strengthen the UK’s bond with India while helping to transform the future of healthcare through innovation and advanced training for the next generation of staff. This demonstrates the strength of the India-UK Health Partnership which is leading the way to improve patient care across the UK and India.”

Professor Sir Steve Smith, the UK Government’s International Education Champion, said “I am delighted to see King’s College London and the Hinduja Foundation establish the Hinduja – King’s Health Partners Academy. I am sure the partnership will play a vital role in bringing far reaching impact and health improvement. The announcement also demonstrates the deepening collaboration between the UK and India in the education sector, where we see huge growth potential in the coming years. The UK is a world leader in Transnational Education (TNE) and I am sure this ambitious partnership is one of many that will follow in the increasing internationalisation of higher education.”

Professor Shitij Kapur, Vice-Chancellor & President of King’s College London said: “We are proud to be supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals and biomedical technical talent in India and the UK through this partnership, who will develop the healthcare technologies of the future; in turn, helping solve some of the most pressing global healthcare challenges we face.”

Professor Richard Trembath, Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences) and Executive Director of King’s Health Partners said: “The Hinduja-King’s Health Partners Academy offer a wealth of potential synergies that we are truly excited about. We believe that through collaboration and co- creation, we can build a launchpad for a future of healthcare that is rooted in technological and digital advances bringing far- reaching impact and health improvement.”

Professor Ian Abbs, Chief Executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said: “This partnership will enhance and develop the skills of future healthcare professionals in the UK and India, enabling them to create new solutions to challenging international health issues.”

Mr. G.P. Hinduja, Chairman of the Hinduja Group and Foundation said “We are delighted the Hinduja Foundation and the P.D. Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai are reaching a groundbreaking agreement and collaboration in education and healthcare with King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals. We see this as part of a long-term partnership to bring real positive healthcare and research outcomes to benefit India and the UK.”

Mr. A.P. Hinduja, Chairman of the P.D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre said “It is indeed a privilege for the Hinduja Foundation and P.D. Hinduja Hospital to partner with King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals to provide cutting edge, innovative solutions in healthcare. In the past we have partnered with renowned institutions to provide unique, state-of-the-art healthcare solutions. With the immense skills of each of the partners, I am sure this collaboration will lead to groundbreaking outcomes to help address healthcare challenges faced by India and UK.”

Mr. Gautam Khanna, CEO of P. D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai (owned and managed by National Health & Education Society), said “We are extremely proud of this collaboration as it further reiterates our commitment to provide quality healthcare for all. The hospital has always focused on clinical excellence, research and academics and we see great synergies in the partnership. Through this association, we endeavour to leverage clinical research, biomedical and digital technology to develop impactful solutions that cater to current and future healthcare needs of the two countries.”

Richard Meddings, Chair of NHS England said: “We welcome this exciting collaboration between two leaders in their field which offers significant potential for further improvement in the way healthcare is delivered. It is another example of how the NHS is constantly looking for innovations to boost patient care and drive better, more efficient outcomes.”

Prof Prokar Dasgupta, Professor of Surgery at King’s Health Partners and who will chair the board of the Hinduja-King’s Health Partners Academy said: “The Hinduja-King’s Health Partners Academy will not only provide training, education and research opportunities for future generations of healthcare professionals, but also strengthens the Indo-UK friendship, benefitting both sides as partners.”

Hasan Mushrif, the cabinet minister for Medical Education, Government of Maharashtra said “I am very pleased to know that P.D. Hinduja Hospital and Research Centre and the Hinduja Foundation have established a health partner’s academy in collaboration with King’s College London and Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust to improve healthcare outcomes in India and the UK. King’s College is a leading research and teaching institution of Global repute I am certain that this partnership will involve application of new healthcare technologies to address the fast-emerging needs of healthcare of India. I congratulate the Hinduja Group who has taken this pioneering initiative to bring to Maharashtra a collaboration with a world class healthcare institution like King’s College to support the healthcare needs of India.”

Ramesh Bais, Governor of Maharashtra said “I am pleased to know that the Hinduja Foundation and Hinduja Hospital have launched new collaborations with the King’s College London to work on training and joint research in speciality areas. I was happy to note that the collaborations involve providing training to nurses and research scholarships for Ph D and M Sc students. The Hinduja Foundation deserves compliments for running various social impact initiatives as part of its corporate responsibility. These include water conservation, health, education, rural development and socio-cultural initiatives in art, culture, and heritage. I congratulate the Hinduja Foundation & The Hinduja Hospital for its collaborations with the King’s College London and wish it success in its future endeavours.”