Two Honorary Clinical Chairs at the Faculty of Health and Medicine have given inaugural lectures before packed audiences.

An inaugural lecture is a distinguished academic event, providing a unique opportunity for newly appointed Professors to share their pioneering research, highlight their achievements in research, innovation, engagement, and teaching, and showcase the societal impact of their work.

The first lecture was by Professor Ailsa Brotherton, Director of Improvement, Research and Innovation at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Professor Brotherton is Director of Improvement, Research and Innovation at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTHFT) and the Improvement Director for NHS IMPACT and the National Improvement Board.

She is also a member of the National Frailty Board. As a national expert in quality improvement, she has been instrumental in supporting the strategic discussions and priority setting between FHM and the Trust executives. In the lecture, she explored opportunities for collaborative working as the adoption of NHS IMPACT, the national framework for improvement and develop a systems thinking approach to deliver key strategic priorities, including Frailty.

The second lecture was by Professor Mark Spencer, a local GP and founder of Healthier Fleetwood and Chair of Fleetwood Trust.

Professor Spencer has been a GP in Fleetwood for over 30 years and is passionate about addressing health inequalities. He has been involved in various initiatives to improve access to healthcare and promote healthy living, particularly among disadvantaged groups. He is a founder and volunteer for Healthier Fleetwood, as well as being a Trustee and Chair of Fleetwood Trust, a charity re-purposing the former Fleetwood Hospital into a vibrant Community Hub.

He has worked with colleagues in Lancaster Medical School helping to decipher the impact of COVID-19 on the health and wellbeing of Fleetwood community. He has also had input into the re-design of the medical school curriculum to offer an increased focus on community-based care, disease prevention and the impact of the wider determinants of health.

Dean of the Faculty of Health and Medicine, Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone, said: “Our Honorary Professors are an important part of our collaborative community. It was a pleasure to host these inaugural lectures which were a celebration and recognition of the contribution of two outstanding individuals. We enjoyed inspirational presentations, each different in their own way. We were privileged to learn something about the personal and professional motivations of Professor Brotherton and Professor Spencer and about how their important contributions to health improvement and health inequalities. We are delighted they are part of our community and look forward to continuing our close working relationship with them both.”

The third lecture will take place on July 10 with Professor Vishnu Chandrabalan, a Consultant Surgeon and Head of Data Science at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He also serves as the Chief Clinical Information Officer for the Lancashire and South Cumbria Secure Data Environment which aims to utilise data to improve health outcomes in the region.

The lecture will be in HI One from 5.30 -7.30pm. Please book your free place here https://lancaster-uk.libcal.com/event/4364858

Full photo caption from left: Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone OBE, Distinguished Professor Executive Dean Faculty of Health and Medicine ; Professor Andy Knox, Medical Director (Interim) Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board ; Dr Tom Downes Consultant Geriatrician Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust ; Professor Ailsa Brotherton, Director of Improvement, Research and Innovation, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust ; Asim Patel, Chief Digital Officer, Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB ; Dr Lucinda McArthur Non-Executive Director, Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust ; David Fillingham, Chief Executive Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust ; Sir Julian Hartley Chief Executive Care Quality Commission