Plymouth and Bath pharmacy collaboration features in Universities UK report

Towards a new era of collaboration
Bath Pharmacy students at the University of Plymouth
University of Bath – Gabriel Gilson
An award-winning partnership that addresses the urgent need for more pharmacists, nationally and in South West England is highlighted in a new report from Universities UK’s Transformation and Efficiency Taskforce.
The Universities of Bath and Plymouth’s collaboration to deliver a masters' programme in Pharmacy is a case study that demonstrates how institutions are exploring new, closer ways of working together.
Since September 2024, 26 students from Bath’s MPharm (Hons) Pharmacy course have been learning in new practice-based and clinical teaching spaces at the University of Plymouth’s city centre campus.

Plymouth is already home to more than 4,500 health and social care students, studying everything from medicine and dentistry, to nursing and physiotherapy.

Adding the pharmacy degree to the options available in Plymouth means we now offer an even broader suite of pathways into careers that will make a tremendously positive difference to the health and wellbeing of people in our region and beyond.

John CurnowProfessor John Curnow
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Education and Student Experience

Bath Pharmacy students at the University of Plymouth University of Bath – Gabriel Gilson
With 50 students planned for September 2025 entry, Bath’s pharmacy students join Plymouth’s wide range of healthcare students in focussed interprofessional learning sessions, enhancing their teamworking and preparedness for practice.
An additional option of a shared foundation year delivered by both universities provides opportunity to our regions’ students addressing key widening participation initiatives. This shared foundation year includes newly developed University of Bath modules and draws on existing University of Plymouth modules.
Pharmacists are on the national shortage occupation list and the South West has a particular shortage with the highest community pharmacy vacancy rate in England at 14% (8% nationally). The partnership is delivered in close collaboration with NHS England and local stakeholders.

Transformation and efficiency taskforce: towards a new era of collaboration

Read the full UUK report. The transformation and efficiency taskforce’s chair, Sir Nigel Carrington says:
“This report, and the work which will follow it, represents a commitment to mutual accountability and to ambitious reform for a sustainable future which continues to deliver prosperity for communities across the UK.”
UUK are calling for a much greater focus on how universities across the UK can work together, share services and assets, and collaborate in the national interest. The report identifies seven opportunities open to the university sector, and the action needed from central Government to enable universities to drive such change.