Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Hundreds of NHS staff trained at reopened buildings during pandemic
Both the Rose Bowl and Portland buildings in City Campus were re-opened in April amid the national lockdown to provide much-needed recruitment facilities.
To date, more than 650 NHS staff in areas including nursing, catering, cleaning and portering have completed their training programmes, with a further 300-450 planned for June in the Rose Bowl.
Professor Peter Slee, Leeds Beckett University Vice Chancellor, said:
“As an anchor institution so close to Leeds General Infirmary, opening up some of our city centre buildings has been another way of supporting the NHS as they continue to serve our communities during this pandemic.
“It has been heartening to see the many diverse ways our staff and students have used their knowledge and skills to respond to the health emergency and to make a contribution during these challenging times.”
To date, about 400 new frontline nurses have used the campus for resilience training, which is designed to prepare students by exploring difficult situations faced in clinical practice as well as giving them the space and support to work through any difficulties they may have encountered already.
In addition, 264 catering, cleaning and portering staff who provide vital non-clinical support to medical colleagues have received training as part of the ongoing battle with the COVID-19 virus.
Thanks to a coordinated effort from university support services, the NHS has received a full service including IT access, AV and print services as well as secure access and thorough cleaning of the facilities.
NHS Support Staff Development Lead, Kathryn Pinnick, said:
“This staff group need both knowledge-based and practical training and the Rose Bowl has all of the necessary space and facilities needed to do this.
“As a team, we are hugely thankful to Leeds Beckett University for the space and for the fantastic support that we have received from the Conference, Events and Hospitality team who have been amazing.”
Apart from providing training resources for the NHS, over 70 LBU student nurses have joined health service trusts early, health experts from the university have held hospital training sessions, and industrious students have made and supplied much-needed personal protective equipment for frontline workers.