A New Medical Training Facility in Grimsby Has Opened

A new state-of-the-art medical training facility has been opened in Grimsby.

The centre, which will help nurses, healthcare assistants, pharmacy staff and physiotherapists to improve their treatment skills, is focused on mannequin training.

This practice involves an electronic model, which can talk, breath, blink and accurately simulate injuries, being tended to by new recruits.

Ivor Pulse, as the mannequin has been dubbed, is the first of its kind in the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust and will be used to hone staff competencies, according to the Grimsby Telegraph.
Consultant anaesthetist Dr Alex Quayle, who is in charge of the project, said the new model will be "invaluable" in helping nurses to understand the needs of their patients more effectively.

"This is a small scale simulation facility but it will provide valuable training experience for Trust staff," she said.

"It will allow staff to learn, practise and repeat procedures, improve their skills, fine-tune techniques and master clinical protocols designed to improve outcomes of patients in a safe and controlled environment."

The facility, which cost £20,000, will allow nurses to stay in the area for their training, as previously they had to travel to other nearby trusts in the north-east or east of England which had the equipment needed.

Earlier this year the Care Quality Commission (CQC) condemned the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust for training and patient safety failings.

One of the main issues found was that people with a range of conditions were being treated on a stroke ward, which could have a negative impact on those needing specialist care.

According to Malcolm Bower-Brown, the CQC regional director for the north, shortfalls at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, Scunthorpe General Hospital in Scunthorpe, and Goole and District Hospital in Goole were worrying and needed to be resolved as soon as possible.

"We will continue to monitor the trust closely, to ensure that patients receive the service they are entitled to expect," Mr Bower-Brown said.

Expert Opinion

Through our work, we see many cases in which patients have suffered problems in care as a result of staff not receiving necessary and adequate standards of training. Due to this, any new approach or innovative technology designed to provide effective training support to NHS staff has to be welcomed. <br/> <br/>"The safety of patients must always be a priority within the NHS and we hope that this new equipment will prove very useful to staff at this Trust, with the ultimate outcome being improve standards of care for those who need it the most." Julie Lewis - Partner