Mayor opens multi-million-pound research venues

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has officially opened two new research and education facilities in Birmingham.

Family-owned Birmingham company Salts Healthcare has invested over £2million in the Salts Academy - a new education venue for health care professionals, and the Central Skin Sciences Institute, an independent skin research facility, as it continues to grow in its fourth century of operation.

The Salts Academy is a dedicated facility providing high-quality educational courses up to and including masters level for healthcare professionals specialising in stoma care. Founded in 2012, it is the only one of its kind in the UK.

Salts has now invested further in creating a new purpose-built space that includes a lecture theatre, library, and clinical skills room for specialist nurses to visit and further their knowledge, skills and understanding of stoma care.

The Central Skin Sciences Institute (CSSI) is a new purpose-built facility that will generate scientific data through research and testing to advance knowledge in the area of skin health and skin adhesives.

These new insights and understanding of skin health will have numerous benefits for people living with a stoma, manufacturers, and medical professionals. From improving medical provision to driving innovation in the development of medical adhesives, the knowledge will ultimately help enhance the quality of life for people living with a stoma.

Commenting on the dual-launch Andy Street said: “The West Midlands is at the heart of the UK 's life science sector and so I 'm delighted to help officially open these two impressive venues. Salts ' continued investment in R&D, training and education is helping the development of the life sciences industry across here in the West Midlands and beyond, and ultimately helping to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients across the globe. ”

Angie Perrin, clinical education lead at The Salts Academy said: “This new venue means we can expand our educational services for nurses that will, in turn, assist in helping patients. The specialist facilities will create the perfect platform for educators to connect with students and practitioners and provide high quality evidence-based care education. ”

For more information on the Salts Academy visit www.salts.co.uk

Pictured: West Midlands Mayor Andy Street officially opening the Salts Academy and Central Skin Sciences Institute together with the teams behind both projects. Salts Healthcare of Aston Birmingham has invested over £2M in both facilities.