Stronger together in healthcare

The Nordic University Hospital Alliance (NUHA) was founded to meet the growing demands on healthcare systems – not just in the Nordic region, but across Europe and beyond.

Ageing populations, rising chronic and rare diseases, and higher expectations for quality and sustainability are reshaping healthcare and driving the need for collaboration and innovation.

Our role as university hospitals

University hospitals play a critical role in addressing these challenges. As centres of excellence, we drive research, introduce innovation, and treat the most complex patients. Yet no single hospital – or country – can solve these issues alone.

That’s why NUHA brings together five Nordic university hospitals to collaborate in areas where we are stronger together, such as:

Improving care pathways across borders
Sharing outcomes, expertise, and best practices
Conducting joint research and clinical innovation
Contributing to policy and shaping the future of healthcare

Our Mission

To deliver better healthcare and outcomes by harnessing the collective strengths of the Nordic university hospitals.

Our Vision

Add value to patients and the overall healthcare system
Address major health challenges of our time
Strengthen research collaboration
Promote Nordic health solutions and diplomacy

Our focus areas of collaboration

As a starting point, NUHA has identified four initial areas of cooperation: Benchmarking, Future Health, Rare Diseases, and Platform Trials. These areas highlight where collaboration currently has the greatest potential for impact – but they are not exclusive.

NUHA is an evolving alliance, and new areas of focus may emerge over time as we respond to changing healthcare needs.

Each area brings together multidisciplinary experts from across our member hospitals, promoting shared insights, joint initiatives, and innovations that benefit patients across the region and beyond.

Benchmarking and Data

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The Nordic countries are global leaders in health data, patient registries, and public reporting.

NUHA leverages these assets to:

Track and compare patient outcomes
Benchmark clinical quality across hospitals and borders
Support system learning, transparency, and performance improvement
Develop common indicators and analytical frameworks

By learning from each other, we raise the standard of care for everyone.

Future Health

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How will we deliver healthcare tomorrow? NUHA explores new models that are:

More sustainable
Digitally enabled
Closer to the patient’s everyday life

This includes:

Piloting home-based and hybrid care models
Integrating digital tools for monitoring and decision-making
Preparing for future health threats and system shocks
Embedding climate and social sustainability into clinical practice

We aim to shape a future where healthcare remains accessible, high-quality, and human-centred.

Rare Diseases

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Rare diseases affect small patient groups – but require highly specialised care and international coordination.

NUHA works to:

Strengthen care pathways through European Reference Networks
Improve access to diagnostics and advanced therapies
Build common models for data sharing, training, and treatment
Increase visibility of rare diseases in policy and practice

Our ambition is to ensure that patients with rare conditions receive expert care, no matter where they live.

Platform Trials

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Modern clinical trials must be faster, more flexible, and more inclusive.

NUHA promotes the use of platform trial models by:

Coordinating multi-centre trial infrastructure across the Nordics
Supporting cooperation between hospitals, regulators, and industry
Increasing patient access to cutting-edge therapies
Creating standardised methods for evaluation and data analysis

This strengthens our ability to test multiple treatments at once – speeding up innovation and improving outcomes.