Supporting our partners
Assisting local and national efforts to tackle Covid-19.
The University's loan of £1 million worth of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing machines to support national coronavirus testing is one of the many ways in which we are supporting efforts to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Below is a summary of the support we are providing and our system for ensuring our support is directed where it is needed most. If you have a request for support, please email politicalaffairs@nottingham.ac.uk
Our support
We are helping with efforts to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic in four key ways:
Research, equipment and research facilities
We are providing scientific equipment to support local and national testing efforts, undertaking vital research into the virus, offering expert advice to government and local healthcare partners and helping develop personal protective equipment.
Other spaces, teaching facilities and accommodation
We have relaxed parking restrictions on campus to help key workers avoid public transport, are opening up our University halls of residence, conference centres and other accommodation for NHS workers, and providing space for training health professionals, in line with social distancing measures.
The efforts of our staff
Academic staff are moving to clinical work in the NHS, lab technicians and other scientists are being seconded to help national and local partners and we are supporting staff to help keep buildings and facilities open, clean and safe.
The efforts of our students
Our students studying for health-related degrees are helping local hospitals and supporting NHS staff. Many other students have volunteered in their local communities across Nottinghamshire.
Our partners
We have developed a dedicated stakeholder management system for partners we will be working closely with at this time. Each partner is supported by a key relationship manager from the University as well as a triage and prioritisation system to ensure urgent issues are resolved where we can help.
Locally, these partners include, but are not limited to:
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH)
- Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospital of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
- Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
- Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System
- Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group
- Nottingham City Council
- Nottinghamshire County Council
We are already actively working with all of these organisations. Many have now appointed a key contact to coordinate with the University on this programme of work. If you are from that organisation and wish to flag a request, idea or existing contact, we can share that point of contact with you on request.
We also have a stakeholder relationship management system in place to support coordination and communications with our neighbouring universities, national sector bodies, relevant government departments and key business partners.
How to access help
Please send all requests for support to politicalaffairs@nottingham.ac.uk
The principles of approach
At this time of unprecedented crisis, the enthusiasm, selflessness and skill of our students and staff has been inspiring to see in action. The University of Nottingham has the capacity and determination to make a difference to the local and national effort to tackle Covid-19 and its impact on our communities.
However, we must ensure our efforts are coordinated in order to ensure we can prioritise the support we give according to the greatest need; ensure it is quickly and effectively delivered in a way that can really make a difference; and is balanced against our primary responsibilities to our staff, students and the future of the University.
Our principles for this programme are:
- Coordination – internally, through leads in faculties and professional services – and externally through key account management with primary partners
- Prioritisation – the development of support should be highly-focused on areas that are explicit decisions on how scarce resources are to be allocated and why
- Protection – of our staff, students and of the University’s position (proper contracts and agreements; inventories; insurance etc)
- Agility – in certain areas of support, timescale will be extremely tight. Staff are empowered to begin work locally but must make their work visible and check for alignment to institutional policy and approvals. Less haste, more speed will be our maxim.
- Visibility – activity undertaken should be visible internally and externally to avoid duplication or ineffective activity