Health tie extended

The strategic alliance between St George's Hospital Medical School and Kingston University is being extended to cover teaching, research and clinical service.

The governing bodies of both institutions last month signed an agreement that promotes closer collaboration, but it falls short of a full merger.

The two universities plan to develop new courses jointly, including a Kingston-based foundation year that will enable students to progress to St George's. They will also collaborate on research, with Kingston staff working at St George's.

The partnership builds on the existing shared faculty of health and social care sciences, established in 1996, where staff and students are members of both universities.