University of Salford: New healthcare clinic plans unveiled

Plans for a new clinic building to offer healthcare students at the University of Salford real-world experience have been unveiled.

The building would be part of the School of Health and Society, offering courses such as sports rehabilitation, physiotherapy and podiatry.

It would provide public services on site, including an in-house clinic, the university said.

This would help ease pressure on the NHS and reduce waiting lists, it added.

A period of public engagement on the proposals will now take place until 7 February, before the planning application is submitted.

If approved, building work would begin this summer and be scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.

It would be located behind the Mary Seacole building next to Salford Crescent railway station and would be an all-electric, aspiring to be a zero-carbon building.

The new building, designed by AHR Architects, will occupy approximately 62,430 sq ft (5,800 sq m) of floorspace.

It would house specialist teaching and practice areas for some of the university's most popular healthcare courses, including prosthetics and orthotics and gait analysis, the university said.

In time, community healthcare clinics would also take place there as partnerships are developed to explore research opportunities and to provide a range of therapeutic sessions.

A drop-in session for the community will be held at the university's Mary Seacole Building on 1 February, from 16:00 until 19:00 GMT.

Vicky Halliwell, Deputy Dean at The School of Health and Society, said: "The new clinic building will provide world-class teaching and research facilities for use by colleagues, students and people needing health and wellbeing services.

"We already have a worldwide reputation for the quality of our healthcare courses, with our students getting real life experience from our experts in their fields."

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