University granted £2.5m for healthcare studies

The University of Worcester has been awarded a grant of nearly £2.5m

The independent regulator of higher education in England has awarded a local university almost £2.5m to create additional simulation facilities for midwife and paramedic students.

In total, £2,493,703 from the Office for Students will go to the University of Worcester, which has become the third time in a row the educator has been successful in gaining such funding.

According to the university, the £10.5m secured across the three rounds will benefit nearly 3,000 students.

Vice chancellor and chief executive, Professor David Green, said: "This recognition reflects the university's long and successful history of educating highly employable graduates."

The funding will enable the university to create new high-tech digitally enabled simulation rooms, including a specialist midwifery simulation suite.

It will also see the purchase of a decommissioned ambulance for training paramedics.

Two more highly sophisticated Anatomage tables are also set to be purchased, which show the students life-size 3D digital scans of real people who donated their bodies for science.

By increasing its simulation capacity, the university said it would be able to educate even more health professionals for the future.

Simon Trickett, chief executive of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire, said: "This is extremely positive news for our local health and care system.

"The University of Worcester already plays a vital role in developing the highly skilled and compassionate health professionals our communities rely on, and this latest funding award will further strengthen that pipeline."