The Oxford Academic Health Consortium is a collaborative partnership of Oxford-based organisations covering health and social care, commissioning and service delivery, research, education and training:
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire PCT
Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire Learning Disabilities NHS Trust
University of Oxford

The aims of the partnership are to establish a strong Consortium that develops and implements strategies to strengthen the existing Oxford academic and clinical partnerships, ensuring improvements in healthcare, effective translational research, and strengthened multi-professional education and teaching. The OAHC will support the application for the Oxford Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) and provide the platform for a successful AHSC application in 2013.

Specific plans include:

• Care pathways including (e.g. management of DTOCs, dementia and the care of the older person, nutrition, end of life care and stroke)
• Knowledge transfer and translation of research (including research under the aegis of the BRC/BRU and other research collaborations between the NHS and OU and OBU);
• Support for the small DGH and the provision of services 24/7 – implications for collaboration

 How will it work? A Consortium Board will be established, led by an independent chair, consisting of the chairs and chief executives of the respective NHS partners, together with the Vice Chancellors and Heads of Division/Schools of Oxford Brookes University, the University of Oxford and the Leader and Chief Executive of Oxfordshire County Council.  It will be supported by the Executive Steering Group and working groups for individual projects.

 Why Dementia? Professor John Geddes, Research Director for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Head of  the University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry is taking a lead in the work on Dementia for the Oxford Academic Health Consortium.

 Dementia has been a particular focus nationally in recent months with the Prime Minister’s challenge on Dementia, (March 2012).  New funding of more than £10m was announced as part of the NHS South of England Dementia Challenge in May 2012 by Sir Ian Carruthers and will focus on:

• Creating dementia friendly communities
• Improving diagnosis
• Hospital care
• Community based care
• End of life care
• Reducing inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing
• Support for carers
• New ways of providing and creating new products to make life easier for people with dementia and their carers

Significant partnerships are already in place in service delivery and in major research programmes within the consortium and there is scope for improving collaboration and partnership for, example, with social and primary care and in improving pathways.

The Consortium is well placed to over see the coordination of efforts so that the maximum benefit can be gained from all activities by all members and particularly in taking forward innovative research and care.

We look forward to updating you on the work of the Oxford Academic Health Consortium in the future.