12 April 2010

An Australian Government pledge of $2.4 million to a University of Queensland teaching hospital ensures clinical training for at least 250 extra UQ medical and health students each year.

The funds for UQ-Greenslopes Private Hospital Clinical School mean more future doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and other professionals will have in-depth experience with patients before they graduate.

UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield commended the government for investing in the future of patient care and the health workforce.

“The funds will ensure high-quality clinical training for at least 250 additional students each year, and bring together trainees in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and clinical exercise physiology.

“Before they graduate they will be accustomed to working in interprofessional teams, with a view to delivering better patient care.

“This is a great outcome for the UQ-Greenslopes partnership, which has created Australia’s first multi-professional clinical school in a private hospital.

“Our alliance with a private hospital is proving to be an excellent way to provide clinical training for UQ’s growing body of health students,” Professor Greenfield said.

Executive Dean of UQ’s Faculty of Health Sciences Professor Nicholas Fisk said the project would expand innovative training arrangements for clinical placements in a non-traditional, private hospital health setting.

“Aspects of curricula which are common to the various professional groups will be delivered in an integrated fashion, promoting the team approach.”

Professor Fisk said extra training capacity in 2010 would include placements for:
• More than 40 medical students
• 72 nursing students (doubling from 24 each year to 48 in each of the three undergraduate years).
• 20 final year pharmacy students
• 18 training places for final-year physiotherapy students, plus clinical exposure opportunities for earlier undergraduate years.

Last year the Australian Government awarded a $14 million infrastructure grant to develop the UQ-Greenslopes Private Hospital Clinical School.

Construction of the new facilities is expected to be complete by mid-2010.

Greenslopes Private Hospital is a 575-bed hospital, offering comprehensive inpatient and day services across major adult specialties.

UQ’s Faculty of Health Sciences graduates more than 1000 entry-level health professionals each year across 12 health professions.

The Faculty has a reputation for innovations in inter-professional education, hosting the National Health Care Team Challenge event, and with every student entering the Faculty committing to inter-professional activities from the start of their undergraduate careers.

Media: Professor Nick Fisk, telephone 07 3346 5300 or Jan King at UQ Communications 0413 601 248.