Schoolchildren from across the Black Country were given the chance to go behind the scenes at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, getting first-hand experience of the day-to-day work NHS staff do.
Over 80 pupils from six schools were taken on the Behind-the-Scenes interactive tour held by The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust on 20 November, visiting various clinical and non-clinical areas of the hospital, including the Maternity, Imaging and Therapy Departments. Staff members guided them around the hospital, explaining what equipment they use in their areas to treat patients and allowing students to interact and ask questions.
The schoolchildren from Years 9, 10 and 11 at Leasowes High School, Kingswinford Academy, The Wordsley School, Redhill School, West Bromwich Collegiate Academy and Windsor High School and Sixth Form were also given the opportunity to get hands-on practical experience. Students who visited the Pharmacy Department, which has recently been upgraded following a £1.2 million investment, learnt how to complete prescription checks, as well as being shown how medication is dispensed by the brand-new pharmacy robot.
Pupils were also shown basic life support skills using a simulation manakin at The Ron Grimley Undergraduate Simulation Centre and practised using ECG equipment on a dummy at the Action Heart Centre.
The careers event was designed to showcase the possible career paths that are available within the NHS and to promote opportunities such as apprenticeships and youth volunteering at the Trust.
Diane Wake, chief executive of The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust said: “It has been wonderful to give schoolchildren a taste of what it’s like working at our hospital and to give them a chance to learn how different departments operate. We hope that this visit will encourage young people in the Black Country to consider taking up a role within the NHS in the future.”
