STOCKTON
Vision – How Stockton ’ s Care and Health Innovation Zone could look .
HEALTH ZONE VISION
A once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Tees Valley
Ambitious proposals to develop a Care and Health Innovation Zone in Stockton-on-Tees are ready to transform central Stockton into a nationally significant cluster of social care and health provision .
The vision outlines how Teesdale Business Park and the nearby Tees Marshalling Yards will be home to social care and health services , sector-specific businesses , research , teaching and learning facilities and housing to meet local needs .
A partnership board with representatives from Teesside University , Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust , North Tees NHS Trust , the Education Training Collective and the Tees Valley Combined Authority has been set up to drive the project forward .
Councillor Nigel Cooke , Stockton-on- Tees Borough Council ' s cabinet member for regeneration and housing , said : " This is an exciting , once-in-a-generation opportunity which , if realised , could deliver a nationally significant zone which brings a host of benefits for the borough and the whole of the Tees Valley .
" Our ambition is to work with partners to grow all aspects of the health , public health and social care sector , and their supply chains , in Teesdale and the marshalling yards to make us a recognised UK cluster .
" The creation of a zone will help to reduce health inequalities within the borough and Tees Valley . We hope that the site will be used for pioneering , modern health provision , which will better meet our residents ' needs .
" Creating a Care and Health Zone will also help address skills shortages and there ' s
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also huge potential for boosting the borough and Tees Valley ' s economy with projections showing that the site has the potential to deliver thousands of jobs .
" In developing these central sites which span the river , we hope to improve connectivity between Stockton Town Centre , Teesdale and Thornaby Station too with better public transport , cycling and walking links .”
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said : " I ' m working hard with our partners to bring a Care and Health Innovation Zone to Teesside .
" Investing in our health care system is critical to providing quality services that local people deserve and that is why I am supporting this project .”
Grant Glendinning , chief executive and group principal of the Education Training Collective , said : " The breadth of this vision spans skills , employment opportunities , improved health services and regeneration .
" Through education partners , we ' ll be creating innovative training pathways to recruit and upskill local people to work in
Future - the Care and Health Innovation Zone will transform central Stockton . vital care and health professions . At the same time , we ' ll be bringing modern clinical services , and more , as part of a significant redevelopment of Stockton ' s riverside . These proposals are hugely exciting and a gamechanger for Teesdale and Stockton ."
Vice-chancellor and chief executive of Teesside University , Professor Paul Croney OBE , added : " This Care and Health Innovation Zone is great news for our region and will enable us to work with our strategic partners to provide significant opportunities for teaching , research and collaboration .
" Teesside University has an outstanding reputation for healthcare education provision and has recently opened BIOS , a new £ 39.7m health and medical facility , to further support the region ' s future NHS workforce .
" We are delighted to be working collaboratively and look forward to bringing our skills , expertise and insight to this exciting new project ."
This all contributes to a thriving borough where 5,500 businesses are already making the most of what Stockton-on-Tees has to offer .
The people here have a real pride in the borough and a desire for it to succeed . More than a third of residents currently work in high value professions , and almost a third are qualified to degree level or above . Whether you ’ re a business looking for ready-made premises or intending to build a new site , Stockton-on-Tees should be at the top of your list .
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