What is an AHSC?

An academic health science centre (AHSC) is a partnership between a healthcare provider and a university.

The AHSC model is well established in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Sweden and the Netherlands.

In June 2008 the UK government published a report, High quality care for all, which sets out its vision for the NHS over the next ten years. It included a commitment to develop a number of AHSCs in England, with the purpose of taking new discoveries and promoting their application in the NHS and across the world.

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust was created on 1 October 2007, by merging Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust and St Mary's NHS Trust. The new Trust and Imperial College London formed a unique partnership and together they became the UK's first AHSC. On 9 March 2009, we received official recognition as an AHSC from the UK government.
Read more about our AHSC application

You can read more about academic health science centres on the Our NHS, our future website, which contains information about the future of the NHS.