Regional Universities collaborate to create a new model for health and social care education

A UK first regional strategy designed to strengthen collaboration and enhance interprofessional education (IPE) across the North of England has been launched by five of the region’s universities.

The Northern Interprofessional Education (IPE) Strategy, developed jointly by Newcastle University, Northumbria University, the University of Sunderland, Teesside University, and the University of York, sets out a shared vision to advance IPE through a connected regional community of practice.

Dr Claire Leader, Faculty Academic Lead for Interprofessional Education at Northumbria University said: “The Northern IPE Strategy represents a significant opportunity to strengthen collaboration across our region and prepare our students for the realities of modern, integrated practice.

“By working together across institutions and with our practice partners, we can ensure our graduates are equipped with the collaborative skills and mindsets needed to deliver high-quality, person-centred care.

“I'm excited about the positive impact this strategy will have on our students and the communities we serve.”

The pioneering strategy is the result of stakeholder consultation, evidence gathering, and collaboration across academic, clinical, and professional partners.

It provides a framework of shared principles and priorities aimed at embedding high‑quality interprofessional learning that prepares students to work confidently and effectively across professional boundaries.

A region-wide commitment to collaborative education

At the heart of the groundbreaking strategy is a commitment to develop a sustainable regional community of practice, strengthening how universities work together to design, deliver, evaluate and research interprofessional learning opportunities.

By aligning expertise and resources across institutions, the strategy aims to promote consistency and innovation in the way students learn with, from, and about one another.

The five authors, Dr Rebecca Hancock (Newcastle University), Dr Claire Leader (Northumbria University), Dr Jess Hardisty (University of Sunderland), Dr Erica Clough (Teesside University), and Dr Melissa Owens (University of York), joined by Dr Vikki Park, (Teesside University) expert peer reviewer and Northern IPE Group member, unveiled the visionary strategy in March at a launch event.

Group members highlighted the importance of the shared approach, noting the potential to support a more integrated and collaborative future workforce across health, social care, and related sectors in our region.

Built on strong foundations of regional collaboration

The regional collaboration has grown from the Collaborative Newcastle Universities Agreement (CNUA), established in 2021 to increase partnership activity between Northumbria University and Newcastle University for the benefit of the city and wider region.

Interprofessional education was identified early in the process as an area with strong potential for regional impact, due to the existing legacy of cross‑organisational collaboration and the longstanding IPE expertise within the participating universities.

Building on these foundations and expanding across the North of England, the Northern IPE Strategy represents the next phase of shared ambition bringing together five universities to create a wider regional model for collaborative health and social care education.

Supporting the future health and social care workforce

Interprofessional education plays a critical role in preparing students to contribute to integrated, person‑centred services.

Through the regional strategy, universities aim to enhance the quality, reach, and consistency of IPE across programmes, ensuring that graduates enter the workforce ready to collaborate effectively for the benefit of service users, families, and communities.

The trailblazing strategy outlines five pillars related to cross-region collaborative working, leadership and governance, faculty development, research, and quality assurance.

Strengthening the North’s leadership in IPE

The launch of the Northern IPE Strategy positions the North of England as a national leader in interprofessional education, showcasing the strength of its academic collaboration and commitment to innovation in health and social care education.

Professor Susanne Lindqvist, Chair of the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education, supported the launch event and acknowledged the pressing need for IPE to prepare our learners for the demands of health and social care, now and in the future.

Reflecting on the strategy's significance, Susanne added that: ‘As Chair of CAIPE, it was a true honour to attend the Northern IPE Strategy Launch event.

‘Five universities, practice partners, experts by experience, and students have collaborated to develop an ambitious five-year roadmap for advancing interprofessional education across the region.

‘CAIPE is committed to supporting initiatives that raise the profile of interprofessional learning and strengthen communication across the sector.

‘The work demonstrates a strong collective ambition to enhance how we learn with, from, and about each other in health and social care practice.

‘This initiative has significant potential to transform services with communities and help shape sustainable neighbourhood health systems where the current and future workforce can collaborate effectively to improve care.

‘I look forward to following the next chapter and learning from the leadership shown in the North, work that may inspire and inform developments across other regions.’

Capturing the essence of the revolutionary regional approach, the Northern IPE Group added: ‘The Northern IPE Strategy represents a significant step forward for interprofessional learning in the North and is a sector-leading initiative at the forefront of UK practice.

‘By bringing together the expertise and commitment of five universities, we are building a strong and connected community that can drive meaningful change in how we prepare the health and social care workforce of the future.’