The clinics included:
- An NHS Health Check clinic for Carlisle Healthcare patients at CHC.
- A blood pressure monitoring clinic for Shap Surgery patients, delivered from the Made in Melissa Bus in Orton.
- A joint NHS Health Check clinic for patients from Distington Surgery and Workington Surgery at The Oval Centre in Workington.
The initiative was supported by Becky Ritchie, Locality Lead East, and Kathryn Rigg, Locality Lead West, alongside colleagues from the University of Cumbria and newly appointed Practice Education Facilitators, Luke Andrews and Emma Hood.
For many of the students involved, the clinics provided an opportunity to build on the knowledge and skills gained during their Primary Care placements, while developing confidence in patient communication, clinical practice, service delivery and teamwork.
The clinics were well received by patients, with many taking the opportunity to engage with the student teams and provide positive feedback on their experience.
Comments from patients included:
"The student nurse was fantastic from start to finish. It was a positive experience."
"The student nurse got my blood first time – which normally never happens! Absolutely brilliant."
"The student nurse was very caring, great experience and lovely to have more nurses – as we will always need them."
"Great to see student nurses working together on their own project and their enthusiasm for what they are doing."
The success of the clinics has already prompted discussions around future events later this year, with the aim of continuing to provide valuable learning opportunities for student nurses while supporting the delivery of preventative healthcare services within local communities.
A special thank you goes to all of the student nurses involved, participating practices, the University of Cumbria, the Made in Melissa Bus team and Kennedy's Chocolate Shop in Orton for their support in making the clinics a success.
