A new three-bed simulation ward has opened at St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey, improving patient outcomes by giving clinical staff and medical students the opportunity to practise simulated medical procedures, including the treatment of cardiac arrest and major trauma.

The simulation ward at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is funded by money the trust receives from medical schools for teaching medical students. It is located in the education centre at St Peter’s Hospital, which is responsible for all clinical education at the site.

The ward will benefit all clinical staff, from nurses and midwives, doctors of all grades and allied health professionals, as well as the many medical students that spend time learning at the trust.

It offers a vast selection of simulation experiences, from clinical skills to the most common scenarios that occur in clinical practice.

There is a complementary simulation suite which can mimic major trauma on the roadside or an attack on the London Underground.

Professor Pankaj Sharma, then director of education at the trust, developed the new ward. He said: “The education landscape is rapidly evolving to train using simulation methods where clinicians and students in all patient professions can practise and receive feedback in a safe environment before going into clinical practice.

“This has huge advantages for patients as multiple training sessions on a simulator can be made before carrying out the procedure on a patient. It also gives clinicians the chance to tackle problems that they may encounter in future. Patients can be assured that the person dealing with their clinical issue has been trained over and over again.”

The simulation ward was officially opened by Mark Roland, Chief Medical Officer. He said: “This ward allows our staff to master new skills in a clinical environment, just as pilots use simulators to learn and prepare for situations they may face.”