NHS Lothian has developed a comprehensive framework for the implementation of Clinical and Academic Homes for nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, pharmacists and healthcare scientists (NMAHPPS) in the following institutions:
- Edinburgh Napier University
- Queen Margaret University
- Robert Gordon University
- Stirling University
- University of Edinburgh
The aims of Clinical and Academic Homes are to foster career development opportunities, enhance collaboration and develop capacity and capability in the four pillars of practice identified in the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) NMAHP Post Registration Career Framework (NES, 2020).
- Clinical Practice
- Education/Learning
- Leadership
- Evidence, Research & Development
‘Clinical Homes’ are intended for academic NMAHPPS staff and are set up in defined clinical or other professional services within NHS Lothian and confer an appropriate honorary title aligned to the relevant professional post graduate career framework
‘Academic Homes’ are intended for clinical NMAHPPS staff to make a contribution professional practice, education and research programmes within specific academic departments and confer an honorary title in line with the individual institution’s processes.
What is the Clinical and Academic Home Framework?
This narrated PowerPoint explains the aims behind the Framework, the features of a clinical or academic home and the benefits for NHS staff, academic staff and the organisations.
What does a Clinical /Academic Home Partnership look like?
Dr Alison Wood, Lecturer, Queen Margaret University & Honorary Consultant in Non-Medical Prescribing and Margot McCulloch, Lead Nurse for Advancing Roles and Non-Medical Prescribing, NHS Lothian talk about their Clinical Academic Partnership in Non-Medical Prescribing. They explore the benefits of having a formal agreement and clear objectives for their partnership.
More information is available in Clinical and Academic Homes Guidance
Full information is available detailing the background, governance and monitoring of the Lothian Clinical and Academic Homes Framework
Please access the following pages for examples of clinical academic homes and the process for setting up a home or partnership.
Examples of Clinical and Academic Homes
How to set up a Clinical or Academic Home
For further information please contact the following professional lead:
| Profession | Lead | Contact |
| Nursing and Midwifery | Professor Juliet MacArthur, Chief Nurse Research & Development | juliet.macarthur@nhs.scot |
| Allied Health Professions | Andy Peters, AHP Research Facilitator | andy.peters@nhs.scot |
| Pharmacy | Elaine Rankine, Education, Research & Development Lead | elaine.rankine@nhs.scot |
Examples of Clinical and Academic Homes
Clinical Home – Research: A senior lecturer in a nursing department took up the role of Honorary Research Nurse Consultant in a respiratory unit in 2014 and worked there for two days per month until her retirement in 2020. The focus of the work was on undertaking practice development with the ward team and focusing on building research capacity in cystic fibrosis (CF). The nurse regularly attended the multidisciplinary team CF meetings with follow up with the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) to develop projects, which led to the CNS team presenting at international and local conferences. She also provided clinical supervision for the Senior Charge Nurses for one hour every fortnight, which resulted in one of the SCNs undertaking a master’s level study that subsequently influenced her own career progression. Other projects included working with the clinical psychologist to explore patient experience of ward rounds, undertaking a research study on moral distress of staff and contributing to a report to Scottish Government on management of CF.
Clinical Home – Leadership: A lecturer in a nursing department took up the role of Honorary Nurse Consultant for Person-Centred Practice, working in partnership with the Head of Quality and Standards in NHS Lothian. Together they have worked to review an existing leadership programme, which led to redesign of content and format and the development of a Person-Centred Practice Programme for nursing staff. They also worked on the development of a set of person-centred principles that became incorporated as a key element of the NHS Lothian Nursing and Midwifery Strategic Plan.
Clinical Home – Clinical: A lecturer in Speech and Hearing Sciences took up the role of Honorary Speech and Language Therapist in NHS Lothian’s Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Service in 2018 having previously held a similar substantive post alongside her university appointment. At the same time she has been studying part-time towards a PhD which involves the development and validation of a novel assessment tool for use specifically in education settings to aid in the diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in children and young people. The primary objective of the clinical home is to maintain specialist clinical skills to ensure that her lecturing remains up-to-date and aligned with current clinical practice. She has provided clinical sessions to the service’s ASD diagnostic pathway. In addition the clinical home has supported access to patients for recruitment to her PhD study. She has worked approximately one day per month on this honorary basis, primarily through delivery of a clinical service. Review of the clinical home confirmed that benefits were accruing to all three parties; the clinical service receiving direct clinical session support and maintaining participation in clinically relevant research, the university benefiting from the up-to-date clinical knowledge to support the education of their students, and the lecturer herself being able to maintain a balance of teaching, clinical, and research duties including the further development of her PhD study.
Academic Home – Research & Leadership: A Lead Nurse for Advanced Practice and Non-medical Prescribing took up the role of Honorary Lecturer at a university. One of her key objectives was to develop her research skills as well as to contribute to curriculum development. She collaborated with her academic partner to develop and implement a research proposal focusing on the learning needs of non-medical prescribers who are returning to prescribing after a break from that role. She took the lead on applying for ethical approval within the university and through the Integrated Research Application Service (IRAS). Having successfully completed the study she is now involved in dissemination through publication and presentations, including at the International Conference for Advanced Practice in Aberdeen in September 2024. She is now seeking further funding to develop a tailored resource that meets the educational needs of returning prescribers.
