Posted on: 21 October 2024
West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is introducing student-supported services, a new approach designed to expand healthcare placement opportunities, enhance patient care, and support workforce retention across the region.
The model will also boost capacity within services, helping to bring down NHS waiting lists and provide patients with the care they need, close to home.
Patients who are referred to student supported services will be seen by a group of multi-professional students in a safe and supervised environment, with all care overseen by a clinical registered professional. For example this could mean 2 pairs of students delivering care in 2 clinic rooms, with 1 registered professional overseeing the care delivered and providing support as and when required. This means productivity has increased significantly, and the students are gaining hands on, patient facing experience.
The model can be adapted to suit any clinical specialist area and works across all professions including nursing, midwifery, podiatry, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.
The clinics will be delivered across West Yorkshire at venues convenient to local people, such as in their local GP practice or even their homes and nearby community centres.
Through the new model patients across West Yorkshire have experienced enhanced care due to additional patient education opportunities and interventions which otherwise wouldn’t be available, such as our podiatry musculoskeletal clinics.
The health and care partnership has launched a new website to help patients, students and professionals understand the model, and how they can benefit from it.
Beverley Geary, Director of Nursing, West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, said: ‘We are committed to providing students with the opportunity to gain experience to develop into well-trained, competent, and confident healthcare professionals. This in turn will contribute to better care, improved patient outcomes and result in higher levels of retention.
“Whilst this is an opportunity to deliver an excellent quality placement experience, it creates these opportunities with a focus on them being safe learning environments for not only our students, but also the patients and staff involved.’
Laura Singleton, Head of Workforce Transformation, West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, said: “In collaboration with West Yorkshire’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), the project has so far been delivered as a pilot but the aim now is to learn from this pilot and begin to roll out the model across the region.
“One of the standout features of the student-supported services model is that it focuses on addressing health inequalities in West Yorkshire. By offering patients education and engaging them in their healthcare journeys, the model helps them better understand and manage their conditions. It also supports the development of new services in areas where unmet healthcare needs are most pressing.
“This model is about creating a sustainable, cost-effective solution that benefits both the workforce and the communities we serve and is already evidenced to increase patient safety and satisfaction.”
Expectant mum Sadika attended her 28 week check up at one of our student supported midwifery clinics. She said: “I was met by two lovely student midwifery nurses; they had smiles on their faces and were very enthusiastic. They were really caring and they listened to my concerns and they were able to get a solution for me. I didn’t notice any difference to a qualified midwife in comparison to the student midwives, they did a great job. I’m happy with the care I received.”
West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership remains committed to improving healthcare services and reducing inequalities across the region and this initiative is an integral part of West Yorkshire’s long-term workforce strategy. The introduction of student-supported services marks an important step forward in supporting workforce development while delivering better care for patients.
For more information, visit student-supported services.