Sarah Swift Building Officially Opened by Award-Winning Science Journalist Dr Michael Mosley

A major new university building which will help educate new generations of nurses, midwives, psychologists and social care professionals has been officially opened by one of the UK’s most recognised and respected science journalists.

The University of Lincoln’s Sarah Swift Building was formally declared opened today (Monday 11th December) by special guest Dr Michael Mosley.

Michael, who trained as a doctor before embarking on a broadcast career spanning more than 25 years, unveiled a plaque at the ceremony, which will be displayed in the buildings atrium. After the official opening ceremony, Dr Mosley delivered a free-to-attend talk as the latest high profile name in the University’s Great Lives public guest lecture series.

In the talk he shared biographical insights into his career as an award-winning health and science journalist, which has included programmes such as Inside the Human Body, The Truth about Exercise and Inside Michael Mosley.

The £19 million Sarah Swift Building brings two of the University’s largest academic departments – the School of Health and Social Care and the School of Psychology – together under one roof.

The facility is named in honour of Dame Sarah Swift, the founder of the Royal College of Nursing, who was born at Kirton Skeldyke, near Boston, Lincolnshire, and is credited with transforming nurse education, training and professional status following lessons learned in the field hospitals of the First World War.

Professor Mary Stuart, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln said: “The Sarah Swift Building is another significant addition to our campus which will further bolster our ability to teach the next generation of healthcare professionals so desperately needed in our NHS locally and nationally, as well as to further develop our high quality research in the field.

“The building has been named in honour of Lincolnshire-born Dame Sarah Swift, another visionary individual from our county, who made such a remarkable contribution to nursing education and professional standards. We hope that this new facility will encourage future pioneers to follow in Sarah Swift’s footsteps and the values she represented.”

Located on Lincoln’s main Brayford Pool Campus, the building is designed to offer a thoroughly modern and flexible teaching and learning environment, equipped with state-of-the-art clinical suites which can be adapted to different healthcare situations, creating realistic simulations for the training of student nurses. More than 600 students study on Lincoln’s Nursing courses at any one time, with many completing placements and progressing to employment in local hospitals and community settings.

The building also boasts new psychology laboratories and a range of advanced research facilities, as well as general use teaching, learning and social spaces for students and staff. In future it will also provide the base for a range of new undergraduate and postgraduate health courses being introduced by the University of Lincoln in 2018, including Paramedic Science, Midwifery and Physiotherapy*.

The Sarah Swift Building also houses the University’s Centre for Professional Development, which delivers specialist CPD short courses and degree programmes for practising professionals in health, care, social work and a range of other sectors.

Dr Michael Mosley said: “The building encapsulates all the things I’m really interested in which are health, social care and psychology. Its lovely being in Lincoln – I’m really excited by what is being done at this University; it is absolutely brilliant.”

* At time of issue some new health programmes are subject to validation. Please check course lists on the University of Lincoln website for the latest information on the status of new academic programmes. See: www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studyatlincoln/