Yorkshire healthcare students graduate early to fight Covid-19

Healthcare students across Yorkshire are graduating early to help tackle the coronavirus crisis.

Final-year students from nursing, midwifery, paramedic and healthcare degrees have joined the NHS as part of national Covid-19 response.

Students from the University of Bradford, like many others across the country, have taken up frontline healthcare roles to help fight the pandemic.

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More than 400 final-year students, all in the last six months of their degrees, have been deployed early to support key NHS staff on the frontline.

Pictured midwifery students from Bradford University being taught in the universities health studies faculty building. Photo credit: Other: Bradford University.Pictured midwifery students from Bradford University being taught in the universities health studies faculty building. Photo credit: Other: Bradford University.
Pictured midwifery students from Bradford University being taught in the universities health studies faculty building. Photo credit: Other: Bradford University.

The students have taken up positions in the NHS in hospitals across Yorkshire including Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford District Care Trust and the Mid-Yorkshire NHS Trust.

Students have also been deployed to Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Airedale General Hospital and Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Professor Shirley Congdon, the vice-chancellor from the University of Bradford said: “We are working to support our local council, NHS and businesses through the current crisis period, offering our services to support the response at a national level."

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Ruth Girdham, head of the school of nursing from the university, added: “It's in the nature of healthcare professionals to help.

Professor Shirley Congdon the vice-chancellor from the the University of Bradford.  Photo credit: other / Bradford UniversityProfessor Shirley Congdon the vice-chancellor from the the University of Bradford.  Photo credit: other / Bradford University
Professor Shirley Congdon the vice-chancellor from the the University of Bradford. Photo credit: other / Bradford University

"In responding to the crisis, it’s important that anyone who can help is able to, so the university is proud to support them."

Dr Anita Sargeant, head of allied health professionals and midwifery from the University of Bradford, described the deployment of midwifery and paramedic students as a “significant contribution to the workforce.”

She added: “Third year midwifery students will be working across our trusts to support midwives and women having babies, because babies don’t stop, even for Covid-19."

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Second year healthcare students from the university are also being trained up now to enter frontline services in the coming months.

Pictured a student nurse training at the University of Bradford. Photo credit: other / Bradford UniversityPictured a student nurse training at the University of Bradford. Photo credit: other / Bradford University
Pictured a student nurse training at the University of Bradford. Photo credit: other / Bradford University

In addition, some university teaching staff are working with the NHS to train frontline workers, including three critical care nurses ​providing training in the new NHS Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate.

Ms Girdham, a former clinical nurse, said: “We understand a lot of people won’t find it easy because they have caring responsibilities themselves but this is what nursing is about, it’s about helping and supporting patients.

"A lot of nurses who have already gone out into practice feel like they are giving back to the people who have mentored and supported them in their training and who are under immense pressure.”

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Professor Congdon is also a leading member of the Bradford Covid-19 action group, which is coordinating the region’s response to the crisis.

Elsewhere at Sheffield Hallam University over 600 final-year students, all in the last six months of their degrees, will become paid volunteers, supporting key staff involved in the fight on the frontline.

Kajin Osman, 25, a nursing student, is among those who has signed up to help. She hopes to be placed on a surgical ward within Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

“I wanted to make a valuable contribution whilst completing my studies,” she said.

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The Rotherham resident added: “I’m keen to do something to help the NHS during this Covid-19 pandemic.

"As student nurses, I believe we all have skills that can be really valuable and we all have a role to play in this pandemic.”

Meanwhile at the University of Leeds plans are well underway to fast-track more than 1,000 final year medical and nursing students into the NHS.

Working closely with national regulators – the General Medical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and Health Education England – the Leeds based institute is in the final stages of plans to deliver new health professionals to the NHS as soon as possible.

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