Wiltshire College officially launches state-of-the-art healthcare education zone
The Healthcare Zone cost £500,000 to create
A state-of-the-art healthcare education facility has been unveiled at Wiltshire College in Salisbury.
The Healthcare Zone mimics a hospital setting in order to fully prepare students for work placements and eventual careers in wards across Wiltshire.
The space was officially opened today (Monday 2nd June) by Cara Charles-Barks, Chief Executive of the Foundation Trust's for Salisbury District, Great Western and Royal United hospital's.
College Principal and Chief Executive, Iain Hatt, told Greatest Hits Radio the aim was create a setting that allowed students to feel like they were on the job.
He said: "When our students transition to the hospital or they are working on their work placements in the hospital they've got the skills of how to use the equipment of how to work in the space and they can really then spend their time actually learning the clinical skills and how to work with patients."
Mr Hatt said he is "really proud" of what has been created, with the environment mimicking a hospital, with a variety of rooms and spaces for students to hone their craft.
The main space features a ward with eight beds, where students can work with an interactive mannequin patient, which can gasp, groan, cough and describe pain being felt.
It even features full scale ambulance where students can lean how to treat a patient during an emergency response.
And with the college site a short distance from Salisbury District Hospital, it's bringing benefits to both students and professionals.
"Our students are able to benefit from the experience of being able to go to the hospital, but also hospital clinicians are able to come here for some away from work training as well, so they can upskill," Mr Hatt told us.
The facility cost half a million pounds to build and was made possible by £388,000 being awarded to the College by the Department of Education in 2023.