Members of the public invited to take part in televised debates hosted by UCLan Chancellor Ranvir Singh
Members of the public are being invited to take part in a series of televised debates which are shining a light on some of the most concerning health issues affecting people in Lancashire.
Organised by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), ‘Question Health’ is an opportunity for students and staff in the UCLan School of Medicine to discuss and debate crucial health and social care issues in the style of BBC’s Question Time.
The first in the series, hosted by television presenter and University Chancellor Ranvir Singh, will focus on mental health, and question themes will be set around anxiety and depression, schizophrenia and bipolar, substance and alcohol abuse, dementia, and service provision.
Local health experts, both clinicians and academics, alongside senior health service managers, will make up the panel.
It is being filmed and edited by students studying BA (Hons) TV Production and will be aired by television channel That’s Lancashire.
"Question Health is a great way to bring members of the community together with students and local experts to discuss the health and social care issues that matter to our local population."
As well as being an opportunity to bring local experts together to discuss important health issues, the event will provide interactive learning opportunities for UCLan’s medical students in collaboration with students in the creative arts.
Professor Cathy Jackson, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences and Head of the School of Medicine, said: “Our Medical School trains large numbers of students and in doing so invests significant resources into the local health economy. Many of our medical students will live and work in Lancashire and Cumbria and become a vital and enduring resource for the region.
“Question Health is a great way to bring members of the community together with students and local experts to discuss the health and social care issues that matter to our local population, providing a wonderful educational opportunity at the same time.
“We place a lot of emphasis on communication skills in our medical course and exposure to events like this is intended to provide a broader understanding of role of the media in promoting and managing health-related issues.”
"Question Health is a perfect example of how interdisciplinary projects can produce innovative results and bring together experts and students in different fields, such as media and medicine."
Dr Andrew Ireland, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Culture and the Creative Industries, added: “Question Health is a perfect example of how interdisciplinary projects can produce innovative results and bring together experts and students in different fields, such as media and medicine. The Faculty of Culture and Creative Industries at UCLan is known for its unique approach to learning by involving students in real world experiences.”
The first event is taking place on Friday January 26, 2018 at 6.00pm in UCLan’s Mitchell and Kenyon Lecture Theatre, Foster Building.
Admission is free and anyone who is interested can register online at https://question-health.eventbrite.co.uk or contact the event organiser on 01772 894106.
Dates and locations for the second and third Question Health events are to be confirmed but debates will focus on diabetes and heart disease.