Staff at Medway Maritime Hospital have been named finalists at a prestigious awards ceremony in recognition of their innovative ‘Simway Hospital’ project. The annual, simulated clinical training programme – believed to be one of the first of its kind in the UK – is run in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University and helps prepare new Foundation Year One (F1) doctors for their roles at Medway NHS Foundation Trust.
The NHS Foundation Programme is a two-year, work-based education programme intended to bridge the gap between medical school and training to become a doctor. At Medway, this is supplemented by ‘Simway Hospital’, which allows participants to take on their new roles, apply and improve clinical skills using state-of-the-art simulation equipment, and integrate with their hospital colleagues, helping staff step from simulation to working with patients as more confident and competent clinicians. By hosting the event annually, Medway has become a recognised leader in medical education, setting a benchmark for excellence in training and patient care.
The most recent edition of ‘Simway Hospital’, held in August 2024, was bigger and better than ever before, with close to 200 people taking part. This included more than 50 new F1 doctors; speciality consultants and doctors from medicine, surgery, psychiatry, emergency medicine, and radiology; nurses; clinical support workers; physiotherapy and pharmacy colleagues; the Trust’s Acute Response Team; as well as hospital volunteers and local school students.
Foundation Doctor Benjamin Lawton said: “The experience was a fantastic way of settling in and feeling more comfortable at the start of my medical career. With the way the final year worked at my medical school, it had been a while since I had actually been in a clinical space, and thought I would have forgotten everything. However, having the safe and supportive environment to find my feet again provided gave me so much confidence. The event provided fun and learning, and helps so much as we move forwards in our careers as doctors.”
