A Cumbrian NHS trust has helped a group of students gain vital work experience.
Health and social care students recently completed placements with the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which manages the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven, Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary and community hospitals.
The students took part in a three-week Bridge the Bank programme.
Its aim was to help students gain experience and training to work as health care assistants for the NHS.
Seven students took part in placements at the Cumberland Infirmary and six students were at the West Cumberland Hospital.
They worked in departments including paediatrics, the Carlisle health care district nurse team, ophthalmology and Wigton and Cockermouth community hospitals.
After training, the students were guaranteed an interview to join the bank as health care assistants.
Six of the students on the programme have been offered posts and six are due to be interviewed in the coming weeks.
‘It was a life-changing opportunity’
Catherine Scullion, who completed the programme, said: “It was a life-changing opportunity.
“From having literally no healthcare experience, I now feel like I have had a lifetime’s worth of opportunities.”
Amy Crockton, assistant learning facilitator, said: “We’ve been running bridge to bank for two years now and it has been really positive with lots of successful students gaining employment with us.
“We work alongside Carlisle College, Lakes College and sixth forms and their health and social care students.
“Through programmes like this we are continuing to grow and build our future workforce from the local talent we have available to us.”
Catherine added: “This course gave me my first insight into working for the NHS and progression to complete my care certificate.
“The last week of the programme, we were offered a variety of placements, mine were with the ophthalmology and cardiology teams.
“One specific moment which stands out for me was being able to reassure, comfort and praise a patient on how far their health has improved since having a stroke.
“Since completing the programme I was fortunate in being offered an interview to become a bank healthcare assistant and was delighted to find out that I was successful in gaining employment.
“I would recommend this course to anyone wanting to pursue a career in healthcare.”
