Postgraduate Medical Centre the setting for first ever anaesthetic training course

The state-of-the-art Extended Reality Lab at County Hospital’s Postgraduate Medical Centre (PGMC) was the setting for our first ever Anaesthetic Transfer Training Course.

UHNM joined forces with Staffordshire University to offer the ‘real life’training course for the first time.

The Stoke-on-Trent School of Anaesthesia based at UHNM collaborated for the first time with the Staffordshire University Simulation and Patient Safety team to deliver the course which aimed to teach anaesthetic doctors in training how to transfer critically ill patients during hospital transfers.

The team from Staffordshire University provided a working ambulance, technician, manikin, kit bags, defibrillator and portable ventilator and the Extended Reality Lab at the PGMC which provides a projection simulation space creating real-life scenarios.

Using these resources allow learners to experience what to expect when transferring in hospital, ambulance and helicopter by mimicking a ward or A&E area or pre-hospital environment such as roadside or air ambulance.

Dr Felicity Avann and Dr Ben Taylor, both Consultant Anaesthetists at UHNM led the one-day course. Dr Avann said: “The new Stoke-on-Trent School of Anaesthesia transfer training course aims to teach anaesthetic doctors in training how to transfer critically ill patients during hospital transfers. It consists mainly of practical, interactive and simulation based sessions which focus on communication, team working and decision making.

“Having access to the Staffordshire University ambulance really helped in teaching key points and was very well received by the doctors in training. I am very pleased it has received such positive feedback and the Faculty hope it has given a good basis for further transfer experience and development.”

The course received positive feedback from attendees, highlighting the extra resource of the ambulance and technician provided a ‘real life’ transfer scenario.