Publish date: 27 September 2024
Colleagues at the Trust now have access to new equipment to help surgical trainees get important experience.
The Simulation and Clinical Skills Centre at Blackpool Victoria Hospital has introduced a new laparoscopic stack (seen in use in the photo) to help colleagues train for laparoscopic surgeries – a type of keyhole surgery used to diagnose and treat conditions.
The investment has been made possible thanks to funding from hospital charity Blue Skies and the Medical Education Department.
Corinne Owers, Consultant Upper GI and General Surgeon at the Trust, said: “This equipment is almost identical to what is used in an actual operation. Surgical trainees have traditionally learned to do laparoscopic skills by ‘learning on the job’ and building up, skill by skill, on real patients.
“However, if we can teach some of the more basic skills in a simulated setting, it decreases the risk to patients, allows trainees to learn in a stress-free environment, and means that when they do operate on real patients, the learning curve is much easier and safer. It’s beneficial to everyone all round, as well as being a lot of fun.”
The Simulation and Clinical Skills (SCS) Centre is located in a purpose-built facility on the second floor of the main Blackpool Victoria Hospital site.
Included in the centre is a customised Simulated Based Education (SBE) unit which is accredited by the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH), and North West Simulation Education Network as a simulation education provider.
Both the Simulation Unit and Clinical Skills Labs are available for all healthcare and allied professionals to use. The centre’s dedicated team is committed to helping people reach their full potential while working to improve patient safety and increasing colleague proficiency and morale.
As the unit is accredited by Health Education Northwest England it’s also able to design and deliver bespoke courses to suit individuals or organisational needs.
