Health training facility £33m upgrade finishes

The 11-storey building is in a prominent position overlooking Plymouth's railway station

One of Plymouth's largest landmarks has been transformed into a state-of-the-art training facility for the next generation of health workers.

Intercity Place, overlooking the city's railway station, will host students of nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy and social work amongst others.

The £33m project is part of £100m of investment in teaching and learning in Devon by the University of Plymouth.

It is hoped the facilities will help attract students who will go on to work in the local health service, which is facing staff shortages.

The gaps in the workforce are one of the reasons why local NHS trusts are regularly under pressure – NHS data suggests there are currently record waiting lists for treatment in the region.

University leaders say the facility will keep students up to date with changing skills required in the sector.

'Simulation space'

Nine levels of the 11-storey building have been refurbished and repurposed to simulate hospital wards and treatment rooms.

The Midwifery Skills and Simulation Suite houses medical dummies of babies and mothers, along with NHS standard equipment, and cameras in the ceiling to review training.

Prof Aled Jones, head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Plymouth, said: "It’s a simulation space, so we need to simulate as close as possible to the realities that students experience.

"So, we’ve made sure that this is really cutting edge, it matches anything they’ll see in the NHS services they work in”.

Dr Sally Abey from the School of Health Professions at the University of Plymouth said: “It’s a great opportunity for health to move into the centre of the city."

Intercity Place was first opened in 1962 and used as offices of the then British Railways.