A bespoke new training centre is set to improve patient care delivered by the NHS Scotland workforce, according to the Scottish Government.
The NHS Scotland Academy Skills and Simulation Centre at Clydebank’s Golden Jubilee University National Hospital was opened by Scottish health secretary, Neil Gray.
The facility has been designed and will be run by the NHS Scotland Academy, which is a collaboration between NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and NHS Golden Jubilee.
The site will help learners hone their skills in a controlled environment by replicating real-world settings – over 800 healthcare staff are expected to be trained during the centre’s first year.
Nurses especially will benefit as operating theatre skills that previously took a year to learn will be mastered in just six months, while diagnostic training for endoscopy and other vital clinical skills are set to benefit too.
“It’s exciting to see how the innovations in the Skills and Simulation Centre will be used to accelerate training skills by providing unprecedented hands-on experience,” said Neil Gray.
He continued :“The NHS workforce is our greatest asset and that is why it’s so important to invest in their training and development.
“Quicker and more effective training will help to improve diagnostic accuracy and therefore patient outcomes as well as address workforce pressures and aid retention of staff across NHS Scotland.”
Kevin Kelman, director of NHS Scotland academy, learning and innovation at NES, added: “We are absolutely thrilled today to welcome the Cabinet Secretary to formally open our brand new Skills and Simulation Centre as part of the NHS Scotland Academy.
“The launch of the Skills and Simulation Centre reaffirms its position at the forefront of medical training, empowering the future NHS workforce to deliver safe, effective and person-centred care to all.”
The latest news and views on training the next generation of NHS professionals were platformed at an exclusive online conference hosted by National Health Executive last month. Watch on demand now to listen to all the insight.
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