Health education for 10-year NHS Plan | News | University College Birmingham

July 2025

University’s “future-ready” health education to drive delivery of new 10-year NHS Plan

By Melanie Hall

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University College Birmingham’s new learning and teaching strategy is set to play a critical role in meeting the ambitions of the new 'fit for the future' 10-year NHS Plan, launched to transform the health and care workforce over the next decade.

University College Birmingham’s bold, strategic focus on personalised learning, sustainability, collaboration and career-readiness puts it in a strong position to meet the region’s growing health and care demands - and support workforce innovation, nationally.

Professor Gill Brown, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for the School of Health, Life Sciences and Education, said: “Through flexible, modular programmes, inclusive entry routes and increased use of blended learning, students from all backgrounds - including mature learners and those entering through vocational routes - will be able to chart tailored pathways into clinical, allied health and social care roles.

“Crucially, we are designing programmes that reflect the real lives of learners, meaning more flexibility, more support and more ways to progress into meaningful NHS careers.

“Recently picking up the Student Nursing Times’ 2025 Best Education Provider award, our commitment to personalised learning will be instrumental in opening up and diversifying access to NHS careers.”

Championing sustainable health education

The 'fit for the future' plan calls for a long-term approach to workforce wellbeing, retention and community impact and University College Birmingham’s focus on sustainability ensures students are prepared to practise in a system underpinned by prevention, equity and resilience.

Health courses are being designed with an emphasis on population health, climate-conscious care and long-term retention - supporting both personal wellbeing and systemic change.

Building collaborative, future-focused education

The University’s collaborative and future-focused strategy directly aligns with the NHS’s vision of integrated, multidisciplinary care. The University is deepening its partnerships with NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and primary and community care providers to co-create relevant, localised curricula.

Future-facing skills such as digital literacy, AI in health, virtual care and data-informed decision-making are being embedded across the curriculum, ensuring graduates are ready for the evolving healthcare landscape.

Interprofessional education and clinical simulation will also play a growing role in helping students train together, reflect real-world team-based care, and better prepare for integrated practice settings.

Enabling a career-ready health workforce

With the NHS focused on building a larger, more resilient and better-supported workforce, the University is prioritising career-readiness at every stage of the student journey, from employer-informed curricula and expanded placement opportunities to leadership training and routes into advanced clinical practice.

Professor Helen Poole, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor, said: “We’re not just preparing students for jobs, we’re preparing them for lifelong, impactful careers in health and care.

“Our cutting-edge simulation and immersive learning spaces are accelerating clinical readiness, expanding training capacity and directly delivering on the need to build a future-ready healthcare workforce."

Delivering impact through education

University College Birmingham’s contribution to the 10-year NHS Plan is underpinned by a commitment to evidence-based practice, continuous improvement, and regional impact.

By embedding its Learning and Teaching Strategy across healthcare education, the University is ensuring its graduates - and its teaching - make a meaningful contribution to the transformation of the UK health and care system.