About Education for Health
- About Us
- Education for Health - Impact Report now available
- Our History
- Education for Health (formerly NRTC) receives Open University accreditation
- Modules, Programmes & Regional Training Venues
- Continuing Professional Support
- Resources and Publications
- Research Strategy
- Consultancy
- International Role
- Trainers Network
- Testimonials
Awards:
- Work-Life Balance for all Employees - Education for Health achieves Employer of Choice Award 2006
- Education for Health - "a great place to work" - Investors in People Standard
- Education for Health receives National Training Award 2004
- Securing freedom from tobacco smoke - Education for Health achieves gold from The National Clean Air Award Scheme
About Us
Education for Health is registered in England and Wales at The Athenaeum, 10 Church Street, Warwick. Company Registration No 3090774.
Charity Registration No 1048816.
Education for Health based in Warwick, is an independent education and research institution for health professionals and was the first training centre of its type. Education for Health is a powerful merger of two of the UK’s leading education institutions for health professionals: the National Respiratory Training Centre (NRTC) and Heartsave.
It aims to provide a consistent, comprehensive and innovative approach to professional health training across the fields of cardiovascular disease and respiratory health, with the ultimate objective of transforming lives worldwide. Educational programmes are run nationally and internationally and are accredited by the Open University.
Education for Health has built a reputation as a leading international provider of education for health professionals: since 1987, it has provided education and training more than 41,000 health professionals in more than 47 countries throughout the world.
During the 2004/2005 academic year 4,000 students studied with us. Almost 15,000 healthcare practitioners have completed the Asthma diploma level module over the last 14 and a half years and around 10,500 of these are practice nurses.
Participants in our education are keen to spread the word to their colleagues: more than 75% of students first heard of Education for Health by word of mouth. Almost 50% of students attending an asthma short course go on to study at least one or more Education for Health courses.
Education for Health - Impact Report now available
At Education for Health we are convinced that good quality education is the key to improving patients' health outcomes and quality of life. Everything we do is designed to impact positively on patients' lives through better diagnosis, treatment and management. However, great treatments will be ineffective if not used appropriately. Likewise, management strategies may be useless if patients or professionals don't understand or use them.
Find out more about us and what we achieved last year in our Impact Report available to download here:
- Impact Report... (PDF)
- Annual Report Summary... (PDF)
- Chief Executive Report... (PDF)
- Valuing our People... (PDF)
Our History
Its over twenty years since the original National Respiratory Training Centre was set up. It is also over 10 years since Heartsave was established - so effectively over thirty years of training in respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Learn more about our journey...
Education for Health (formerly NRTC) receives Open University accreditation
The
National Respiratory Training Centre (NRTC) was awarded institutional
accreditation by the Open University (OU), in recognition of the quality
of the organisation and the training programmes offered. Confirming the
NRTC as the leading provider of health professional education on chronic
respiratory diseases, the OU also validated the Training Centre’s
new Diploma of Higher Education and new BSc (Honours) Degree in Respiratory
Care. “
"OU accreditation signifies a major new phase of development for Education for Health (formerly NRTC) ”, confirmed Monica Fletcher, who was appointed as Chief Executive in February 2001 following the retirement of its founder Greta Barnes. Education for Health was the first organisation to offer training to health professionals on structured care for a chronic disease. Established in 1986 as the Asthma Training Centre, demand for health professional training in other respiratory diseases has resulted in a broadening of remit, reflected in the change of name. Increasingly, health professionals in other countries are turning to Education for Health for help in developing structured care, following confirmation of the link between improved patient outcomes in primary care practices where practice nurses have undergone specialist training in asthma.
It offers 16 OU validated modules and 17 short courses on a variety of
respiratory related topics, ranging from asthma, COPD, breathlessness
and tuberculosis to respiratory therapeutics and
evidence-based practice.
"The quality of the NRTC’s training is recognised around the world and it is absolutely correct that it is now recognised in the UK in this innovative way by an innovative university.”
Martyn R Partridge, MD FRCP, Chairman of the NRTC Trustees, Professor of Respiratory Medicine, Imperial College, London.
Accreditation
In awarding institutional accreditation, the OU recognised that Education for Health provides:
- an appropriate learning environment for higher education, underpinned by the clinical expertise and research activities of the staff
- a quality assurance system to maintain and enhance the standard of training programmes offered
- clear academic structures
- training that is independent of commercial interests
- training that is responsive to national and international standards.
The teaching resources, library and computing facilities at the headquarters in Warwick were examined by the OU panel of expert advisers, as well as the financial stability of the organisation. All passed with flying colours – the only health professional respiratory training organisation in the country to achieve this standard.
Benefits for health professionals
Health professionals training with Education for Health will benefit from the OU’s reputation for excellence in distance learning and the flexibility of the credit ratings awarded to the individual module that comprise the Diploma and Degree programmes. With the popular one-day Short Courses and individual modules of study, the ability to offer full Diploma, Degree and MSc programmes means there is now a high quality academic pathway for health professionals. Modules and programmes are available to suit the needs of nurses in primary and secondary care, GPs and other health professionals.
Modules, Programmes & Regional Training Venues
Education for Health is committed to providing training that meets the requirements of busy health professionals, with widely differing educational needs and personal circumstances. It has designed a range of programmes, modules and short courses that provide a clear academic structure and yet are sufficiently flexible to allow students to focus on their specific areas of interest. For Diploma and Degree modules, there is an emphasis on distance learning, allowing participants to study wherever they choose at a time that suits them, with interactive study days at locations throughout the UK.
Short Courses
Education for Health organises popular one-day short courses that cover the fundamentals of diagnosis, management and treatment of respiratory disease, as well as practical skills. In addition, it works closely with Primary Care Organisations, NHS Trusts and universities to provide bespoke educational courses that are specifically tailored to take account of local issues and infrastructure.
Regional Training Venues
Whilst Education for Health is based in Warwick, the majority of all training takes
place elsewhere. Four regional venues are in regular use:
Stirling Management Centre, Scotland
Northern Ireland, Belfast (venue details tbc)
Isaac Newton Professional Development Centre, London
Manchester Conference Centre, University of Manchester
Further details
of regional training venues and accommodation...
However, Education for Health is increasingly working in partnership with Primary Care Organisations, NHS Trusts and Universities to commission training nationally for groups of 20 – 25 students. This arrangement is particularly advantageous as local knowledge can be incorporated into the programme and peer support is of huge benefit to students.
Continuing Professional Support
Longer-term support is available to learners by means of the Education for Health Student Support Line
Education for Health constantly strives to adapt to the evolving role of health professionals involved in respiratory care and regularly introduces new modules that take account of changing priorities in the Health Service. Recent additions include The Diagnosis and Management of Acute and Chronic Breathlessness, Evidence-based Practice, Respiratory Therapeutics and Tuberculosis.
Resources and Publications
Education for Health offers a comprehensive selection of educational resources, including informative and practical pocket books, authoritative text books and patient materials such as record cards, technique cards, posters and booklets. View our Educational Resources for further details.
Research Strategy
Education for Health believes that in order to deliver the most effective patient care, health professionals must be able to access and interpret new evidence. It has developed a research strategy which aims to produce and promote the use of research evidence in respiratory disease management and to equip health professionals with the skills needed to interpret scientific data.
Consultancy
Education for Health works collaboratively and also acts on a consultancy basis to support initiatives designed to improve the organisation and delivery of patient care.
International Role
The National Respiratory Training Center has an increasingly high profile in the international arena. January 2002 saw the development of the National Respiratory Training Center in the USA, a non-profit organization based in North Carolina, which runs an increasing number of Asthma and COPD programs throughout the USA. In addition, Education for Health is frequently asked to work collaboratively and in consultation with teams based in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.
Trainers Network
Awards
Education for Health - "a great place to work"
Education for Health, recently awarded the Investors in People Standard, has been shown to demonstrate a number of examples of good practice and strengths, of special note was:
- The strong commitment to ensure that people are managed and developed in a way that is both inclusive and flexible so that everyone regardless of their role feels that the Education for Health is a great place to work
- Decision making processes that involve everyone in operational planning and create the opportunities for anyone to contribute ideas and constructive criticism
- The integration of Work-Life Balance within the day-to-day operations so that most people are aware of the opportunities for flexibility working and their partners and families recognise the efforts made to accommodate different lifestyles and needs
- The way people are valued by Education for Health through the recognition and celebration of both minor and major achievements of teams and individuals whenever an opportunity arises.
The Assessors report stated "Education for Health is fully committed to meeting and maintaining the ethos represented within the Investors in People Standard. Many of the existing processes and policies, combined with a strong culture of involvement and recognition for people's contributions demonstrate that the organisation exceeds the requirements of the Standard in several areas."
The Investors in People Standard is a proven framework for business improvement. It is a practical tool designed to advance an organisation's performance through its people, helping organisations to improve performance and realise objectives through the management and development of their people.
Work-Life Balance for all Employees - Education for Health achieves Employer of Choice Award 2006....
Education for Health receives National Training Award 2004....
Securing freedom from tobacco smoke - Education for Health achieves gold from The National Clean Air Award Scheme....
