University of the Highlands and Islands: Minister praises UHI’s role in healthcare training and research
Scotland’s Minister for Higher Education, Further Education, Youth Employment and Training has commended UHI for its contribution to rural healthcare provision. Jamie Hepburn MSP visited the Centre for Health Science in Inverness today (Wednesday 31 August) where he toured the facilities and spoke with UHI staff and students.
Mr Hepburn learned about UHI’s nursing, midwifery, dentistry and optometry courses and the range of health-related research the institution is involved in. Brian Williams, head of the School of Health, Social Care and Life Science, also highlighted UHI’s role in the ScotGEM graduate entry medical programme which aims to increase the number of rural doctors in Scotland.
Minister for Higher Education, Further Education, Youth Employment and Training Jamie Hepburn said: “UHI’s Centre for Health Science delivers outstanding activity across teaching and research in support of healthcare and health sciences and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have witnessed this work first hand.
“It has been pleasing to learn more about UHI’s commitment to supporting the growth of the healthcare workforce across the Highlands and Islands, addressing the need in rural and remote areas.
“Universities such as UHI are key to supporting the future careers and prosperity of our young people and our economy, and we will continue to work with universities to ensure the success of the Young Person’s Guarantee.
“UHI’s distinctive partnership model has been greatly effective in the delivery of further and higher education across the Highlands and Islands, attracting learners from across the region and beyond.”
Professor Todd Walker, UHI principal and vice-chancellor said: “We were delighted to welcome Mr Hepburn to the Centre for Health Science today and highlight some of the work we are doing to support healthcare provision across our region and beyond.
“There are many challenges in delivering affordable and effective healthcare in rural settings and we work closely with NHS and industry colleagues to help address these through training and research. We are proud that our expertise is making a difference to local communities and is also helping to inform services in other rural areas across the globe.”
Mr Hepburn will travel to Skye to visit two other UHI sites tomorrow (Thursday 1 September) – UHI West Highland’s Portree campus and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Sleat.