Specialist ultrasound simulation facilities unveiled at Teesside

Teesside University Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Croney has welcomed specialist new facilities at the forefront of technology into ultrasound simulation being unveiled at the School of Health & Social Care.

The Regional Ultrasound Simulation Centre and Paramedic Suite, which will serve the whole of the North-East region, has its hub at Teesside University with satellite centres at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and hospitals in Newcastle.

The state-of-the-art ultrasound simulation suite will serve the current and projected training needs of radiologists, sonographers and doctors who have ultrasound skills as part of their curriculum. The training suite also has a role in meeting growing demand to train midwives in obstetric ultrasound, paramedics in emergency ultrasound, physiotherapists in musculoskeletal ultrasound as well as ultrasound guided joint injections and podiatrists in ankle and foot ultrasound.

The centre, which will ensure the University’s graduates are equipped to meet the increasing demands of complex care pathways, was created following consultation with radiologists and emergency care consultants across the North East.

Sir Keith Pearson, Chair of Health Education England (HEE), who officially opened the centre, said: 'This networked simulation capability will enable regional learning to take place in a way that could never have been envisaged only five years ago.'

He added: 'I am particularly taken by the way the University is using the Regional Ultrasound Simulation Centre to provide paramedics with ultrasound education as part of their learning. These practitioners, when they enter the workforce, may find themselves increasingly undertaking a wider range of diagnostics as they are seen increasingly as part of the community healthcare team as well as frontline emergency care professionals.'

While at the University, Sir Keith Pearson met paramedic, midwifery, dental practice and sonography students who will be among those able to use the facilities. BSc (Hons) Paramedic Practice student Fredericka Scanlan, 20, from Sheffield, said: 'Facilities such as these are vital in providing students with real life experience to help to prepare them for professional practice.'

Professor Paul Keane OBE, Dean of the University’s School of Health & Social Care, said: 'We are delighted to host this innovative ultrasound simulation centre which will provide the most up-to-date scanning equipment and contribute significantly to preparing practitioners in promoting early diagnosis of conditions.'

Simon Richards, Programme Leader at Teesside University, said the facilities offer trainees a realistic learning experience, adding: 'The centre will offer students and medical practitioners the ability to learn ultrasound skills in a safe self-learning environment using the best simulation technologies in the world.'

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