North Wales Clinical School
What is the North Wales Clinical School (NWCS)?
The NWCS is a great example of Welsh health education working well to provide real patient benefits at all stages.
It is a partnership between the higher education institutions and NHS trusts based in North Wales:
- Glyndŵr University
- Bangor University
- Cardiff University
- North East Wales NHS Trust
- Conwy & Denbighshire NHS Trust
- North West Wales NHS Trust
The NWCS operates across the North Wales region.
ETC Summer Course, 'Assets for Health', July 29- August 11 2012
What does it do?
In simple terms, the North Wales Clinical School helps train doctors.
Medical students spend the final two years of their 5-year University course undertaking practical training on clinical placements in order to become fully qualified doctors.
At any one time, the NWCS provides support and facilities for up to 150 medical students during their clinical placements in North Wales. The majority of these are Cardiff University students.
A range of NWCS academic posts are being put in place across North Wales, to work with the existing senior clinical academics in North Wales. These consist of clinical teachers and research workers in both hospital and community bases who carry out healthcare research in North Wales. This includes research teams from Bangor University, Glyndŵr University and Cardiff University, all based in North Wales and working collaboratively under the banner of the NWCS.
When was the NWCS established?
The NWCS was set up in 2004, following a bid for funding from the Welsh Assembly Government which was approved on 12 May 2004.
Why was it set up?
To expand the existing academic presence in North Wales and to facilitate joint working between senior clinical research workers so as to provide an excellent academic backdrop against which medical education may be carried out.
What facilities does the NWCS offer?
£14.5m of Assembly funding has provided a range of additional teaching, library and residential facilities across the area. This includes high quality residential accommodation at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and the Maelor Hospital, Wrexham, and major improvements in teaching and library facilities at both those hospitals as well as at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor. Much improved self study resources are now in place. New buildings at Bangor University and rooms at Glyndŵr University have been jointly financed by the clinical school bid.
“Clinical skills laboratories” at both the North West Wales and Conwy & Denbighsire Trusts are equipped with manikins which incorporate the latest computer technology to resemble human beings in their reactions to emergency medical situations – even talking, groaning and bleeding. The mannequins are very realistic and trainee doctors can practice to ensure their skills are perfected before seeing patients.
A “virtual classroom”, which links rooms together by audio-visual technology will soon be available for students in all North Wales Clinical School sites. This means that they will be able to receive teaching from a lecturer at a remote site.
How is the NWCS helping to improve healthcare across North Wales?
The NWCS focuses on excellence in health sciences research; that is, research directly aimed at improving healthcare. It has enabled researchers from across North Wales to work together to carry out nationally renowned research projects, involving the communities in our area. This will improve the quality of medical practice in North Wales resulting in a better service for patients.
North Wales patients benefit from the increased numbers of Consultants funded by the extra money supplied for teaching. Senior medical staff are attracted to the area by the opportunities to develop their careers as a result of the Clinical School presence .These consultants are often leaders in their fields and hold combined clinical, research and teaching posts, which means top quality healthcare for patients in North Wales.
There is evidence to suggest that a high percentage of medical students remain in areas where they’ve trained. Bringing more students to North Wales will ultimately mean more doctors in North Wales.
What are the NWCS’ main achievements to date?
- Providing more opportunities for health professionals to study and live in North Wales, largely in a bilingual setting, thereby promoting the retention of skills and the economic prosperity of the region
- Developing a ground-breaking, collaborative approach to medical education, bringing together the whole range of partners from the health and education sectors from across the North Wales region
- Enabling the North Wales NHS Trusts to take a threefold increase in the number of students undertaking years 4 and 5 placements in North Wales by 2008/9 (see table below for existing number of students)
|
TRUST |
2002/3 |
2007 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| North West Wales | 85 | 206 | 142% |
| Conwy & Denbighshire | 72 | 192 | 166% |
| North East Wales | 118 | 194 | 64% |
| Total | 275 | 592 | 115% |
- Bringing more doctors to North Wales. Since significant numbers of medical students began to train in North Wales, 90% of junior doctor posts are now filled by Cardiff University graduates (compared to 1999 when the number of placements was very small and all the Trusts had great difficulty in filling these posts) – there has also been a big increase in the number of applications for Consultant posts in North Wales hospitals from senior medical staff who are attracted to the area by the opportunities for teaching and research provided by the Clinical School.
What about the future?
The NWCS will evolve based on its experience, expertise and a strong foundation of partnership working. It will continue to provide excellent research and teaching facilities to further improve medical education in North Wales, adding value to the existing provision offered by institutions in the region. North Wales patients are benefiting from increased numbers of consultants who are attracted by the opportunities offered by the Clinical School. The consultants involved are often leaders in their field and hold research and teaching posts, which means top quality healthcare for this area.