A NEW simulation ward featuring lifelike ‘manikins’ to help train staff in real life scenarios has been opened at Kidderminster Hospital.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust unveiled the ward, featuring the manikins – which cost £20,000 each – which will assist will skills training such as catheter and nasogastric tube insertion.

They were made especially for the trust and produced with realistic airways and are connected to a computer so they can talk.

They can also be connected to heart-rate monitors or even programmed to go into cardiac arrest as a learning exercise for student doctors.

Bosses said the manikins have also been chosen to reflect the ethnic diversity of the population.

At the official opening, Sarah Needham, Associate Director of Nursing at the Trust, said: “We are really proud of this new amazing teaching environment for our staff and this demonstrates our commitment as a Trust to invest in our staff’s development and training.

“I hope that all of our staff in the Trust will gain the benefit of using this state of the art facility.

“Simulation-based training is a concept which enables real-life scenarios to be used as part of the teaching which will support all our staff in developing the skills and knowledge in order to continue in providing our patients with safe and quality care.

“The style of teaching is much more interactive and the manikins are so lifelike, staff really buy into and get a lot from this approach.”

Kate Knight, Education Project Lead, said: “As well as continuing to upskill our current workforce, an intensive course has been developed to provide opportunities for our support staff registered in other countries to gain Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration.

“The new simulation ward will be the main centre for teaching and international nurses who work across the country have contacted the trust as they wish to join our course and access this opportunity.”

The centre was officially opened by Dr David Jenkins, a Diabetes Consultant from the Trust, and Beverly Ingram, Director of Nursing at Health Education England West Midlands.

Beverly said: “This new ward really is fantastic, thinking back to my 35 years in nursing it’s incredible how far science and technology have come along since then.

“This is really important for Worcestershire’s hospital and it’s a real credit to the team that have made it happen. They are so realistic and will improve the quality and safety of nurse training in future.”

Dr Jenkins added: “The quality of these manikins is amazing; this is a fantastic space and will serve to improve the safety and quality of teaching in the future.”