Northampton General Hospital simulation suite

The opening of the simulation suite (generously funded by the East Midlands Workforce Deanery) enabled trained faculty to provide the best learning experience possible in a safe and supportive environment for all medical students, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. The main focus was to design, plan, develop and deliver multi-disciplinary training programmes, allowing staff who work together to train together.

The simulation suite has grown and become an integral part of training at NGH. The simulation suite works closely under the safety team, and develops training in line with medical school curricula, HEEM and patient safety.

We currently have two simulation rooms and two debrief rooms (with video playback), so we can now run two simulations at the same time if required for regional/OSCE training.

Core faculty simulation trainers

• Dr A Jeffery - Simulation director
• Dr I Khan - Undergraduates lead
• Dr F Poyner - Simulation lead, HST and CMT lead
• Simulation fellow x 2
• Mrs C Warlow - Simulation line manager
• Mrs V Garrod - Simulation suite manager
• Mrs M Burt - Simulation trainer
• Miss G Denny - Simulation technician
• Dr J Wilkinson - Foundations doctors' simulation lead
• Dr N Hames - Anaesthetic trainees' and simulation fellow simulation lead
• Dr T Dyer - Acute care block lead
• Dr Odbert and Dr Dyer - Pre-hospital obstetric training
• Dr P Slater, Dr S Lloyd and Marie Marshall - Obstetric training
• Dr J Weatherill - ED SHO simulation lead
• Dr M Pearce - ED registrar's simulation lead
• Dr D Sharman - CVC skills clinical lead

We have 12 core faculty consultant trainers and around 20 simulation trainers, including consultants, nurses, ODPs and trainee doctors.

• Dr A Nasimudeen - Chest skills lead
• Dr P Kang - Surgery block lead
• Dr H Binns - Cardio respiratory block lead
• Mr J Northover - MSK block lead
• Dr Jaleel/Dr Udi - General medicine lead
• Dr A Bowen and Dr Parker - Cancer care block lead
• Dr R Mappilakkandy - Elderly care block lead

Core faculty meet every six months to plan simulation training for NGH.

Equipment

• SimMan 3G
• SimMan classic
• SimMan essential x 2 (1 bought by charitable funds)
• SimMom
• SimBaby
• SimNewB
• 2 x chest and CVC USS trainers
• Laparoscopic simulator for general and gynaecological surgery
• Cardiac abdominal and obstetric ultrasound scan trainer
• Obstetric vaginal scanner
• Mobile camera for filming training in the hospital

Current simulation training courses

Monthly courses

• Advanced simulation training for Foundation trainees
• Advanced simulation for Core Medical Trainees
• A and E doctors: paediatric and adult training
• Trauma nurse course
• Undergraduates: acute care, perioperative, cardio respiratory, cancer care, elderly care, general medicine, MSK and EMQ tests
• Obstetrics: medical and non-medical MDT simulations
• Midwifery: community and hospital training
• Learning from error MDT programme

Quarterly courses

• Acute care ward nurses course
• Management emergency tracheostomy training course - medical and non-medical
• Neuro observation nurses course
• In and out of hospital transfer training - medical and non-medical
• Ward team days - non-medical (starting to encourage medical staff to attend too)
• Learning from SIs - medical and non-medical
• Faculty training
• End of life care

Annual courses

• Pre-hospital obstetric and neonatal training course - medical and non-medical (PHEMS)
• Critical incidents course for anaesthetics
• Pain clinic MDT - medical and non-medical
• Eye recovery course
• Gynaecological laparoscopic skills - medical and non-medical
• IPEs and Finals - undergraduate exams
• Airway management at Berrywood ECT suite (completed once)

Twice-yearly courses

• Regional - difficult airway management for ODPs
• Novice exams for anaesthetists

Clinical skills courses

• IPEs and Finals - undergraduate exams
• Surgical cricothyrotomy - medical and non-medical
• Managing difficult airways trainee ODP
• Undergraduates - acute care, perioperative, cardio respiratory, cancer care, elderly care, MSK
• CVC USS guided
• Chest drain insertion USS - medical
• Midwifery - cord prolapse, PPH, breach, eclampsia, BLS, NLS
• Gynaecological laparoscopic skills - medical and non-medical
• Undergraduates - suturing, ABG, cannulation and venepuncture, blood transfusion, airway management, IV infusions  and catheterisation
• Trauma nurses, splint, tourniquet and A-E assessment
• Cardiac, obstetrics and gynaecology and abdominal scanner - medical and non-medical
• Baby hips to detect congenital dislocation of hips in newborns - medical
• Maternity support worker (MSW) vital signs and NBLS
• Peer reviews for all faculty

In-department skills

• Laparoscopy VR simulator in main theatres - medical, undergraduates and non-medical (setting up a first assistant programme for scrub practitioners)
• Vaginal scanner in registers room on labour ward
• Management of emergency tracheostomies (and externally nursing homes)

Point of care simulation

• Ed adult and paediatric MDT
• Neonatal - Gosset ward
• Pain clinic - MDT
• Theatres simulation