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University of Bradford supports early deployment of 400 staff into NHS

As part of the national coronavirus response, the University of Bradford has helped to support efforts by facilitating the early deployment of 400 midwives, paramedics and other healthcare students into frontline healthcare roles.

Many of those who have early deployed into the NHS have already taken up positions in hospitals including Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford District Care Trust, the Mid-Yorkshire NHS Trust, Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust, Airedale General Hospital and York Ambulance Service (YAS). In the coming weeks and months, more are expected to take up NHS positions within these organisations too.

Some of the university’s staff have also stepped in to ‘gift’ their time to training frontline workers for the NHS, including three critical care nurses training in the new NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire.

The early deployment of these students forms part of a national effort to bolster the NHS workforce to help tackle Covid-19.

Ruth Girdham, Head of the School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership in the university’s Faculty of Health Studies, and a former clinical nurse who joined the university 11 years ago, said: “It’s in the nature of healthcare professionals to help. In responding to the crisis, its important that anyone who can help is able to, so the university is proud to support them.

“I’m really pleased we have had such a good response and we understand a lot of people won’t find it easy because they have caring responsibilities themselves, but this is what nursing is about: helping and supporting patients.

“A lot of the nurses who have already gone out into practice feel like they are giving back to the people who have mentored and supported them in their training and who are under immense pressure.”

In addition to 20 nursing, physiotherapy, midwifery, radiography and paramedic staff, the full cohort of Year 3 nursing, midwifery and paramedic students have taken up NHS roles early, with Year 2 students across some of the professions now being trained up to enter frontline services in the coming months.

The University of Bradford has helped to support efforts by facilitating the early deployment of 400 midwives, paramedics and other healthcare students into frontline healthcare roles.

Dr Anita Sargeant, Head of Allied Health Professionals and Midwifery in the university’s Faculty of Health Sciences, added: “Our third year paramedic students are already working with YAS and we have brought forward training for our Year 2 students to get them ready to enter YAS earlier to help support the Covid-19 response.

“It’s significant because they are working on the front line as emergency medical technicians and will be responding to all emergency calls, including Covid-19 situations.

“In addition, third year midwifery students will be working across our trusts to support midwives and women having babies, because babies do not stop, even for Covid-19. Our physiotherapy, occupational therapy and radiography students will contribute in a number of ways over the coming months.”

Outside of bolstering the workforce, the University of Bradford has also stepped in to help address shortages of PPE among healthcare workers, distributing its own stocks to the NHS. To date, this has included coveralls, hooded bodysuits, gloves, safety glasses and overshoe covers. Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust were also provided with 95 litres of ethanol to support the trust’s efforts cleaning ventilators.

The university’s Polymer Interdisciplinary Research Centre is also working with a group of researchers to design and manufacture face shields to protect healthcare workers in the local hospitals and community using the university’s 3D printer technology. They have partnered with a leading West Yorkshire machinist company and plastics supplier to achieve this goal.