Ramsay Health Care is helping to train the NHS professionals of
the future
Ramsay Health Care UK is an independent healthcare organisation
that has been providing care to NHS patients since 2004. Clifton
Park NHS Treatment Centre, an independent sector treatment centre
run by Ramsay Health Care, is helping to train the NHS
professionals of the future.
Clifton Park NHS Treatment Centre, close to the City of York
opened in January 2006. It aims to increase the choices available
to patients and reduce waiting times. Initially treating
orthopaedic and general surgery patients, the hospital now
specialises in orthopaedic surgery. Like most treatment centres, it
concentrates on elective surgery.
Clifton Park always intended to become an integral part of the
local NHS community and began taking on junior doctor trainees in
April 2006.
Ian Whitaker, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Clifton Park and
the neighbouring York District Foundation Trust Hospital, explains:
“The consultants at York were involved in the development of the
new treatment centre from the start. We were insistent that Clifton
Park would be able to offer new opportunities for junior
practitioners, as well as for patients.”
The benefits for the junior doctors, who are all specialist
registrar grade or above, are clear, as Ian describes: “Because of
the defined case mix of the treatment centre, our trainees have
found that they are involved in 30 to 40 per cent more cases than
they were at the district hospital. This provides valuable,
hands-on training for the clinicians of the future.”
In addition to the junior doctor training, Clifton Park staff
worked hard to achieve student placements for other health care
professionals. To date, the Treatment Centre are fortunate to have
training agreements in place for student nurses, physiotherapists,
radiographers and occupational therapists.
Debbie Craven, General Manager at Clifton Park, has found these
training agreements beneficial for the treatment centre staff as
well as the trainees.
Debbie explains: “Having trainees at a hospital helps to
facilitate a learning environment. The team really enjoys working
with the junior doctors, student nurses, student radiographers and
student physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Importantly,
the agreement enables NHS trainees to experience working within the
independent sector.”
In addition to opportunities for NHS health care professionals
to train at the Treatment Centre, Ramsay Health Care UK also offer
exceptional staff training opportunities. Their in-house training
programme offers a wide variety of courses ranging from IT skills,
to management courses and is available to all staff. Clifton Park
Treatment Centre also fund staff who wish to participate in
external training courses and have enabled theatre staff to qualify
as Advanced Surgical Practitioners and hotel services and health
care assistants to take further NVQ courses.
Sharon Found, Hotel Services Manager at Clifton Park, is
currently studying for a nutrition qualification. Sharon says: “It
is something I have always had an interest in, but did not have a
formal qualification: it is a fantastic opportunity for me.”
Since opening, Clifton Park has exceeded expectations, treating
even more NHS patients than anticipated and achieving a
consistently high level of patient satisfaction. In addition, the
hospital has become a valuable asset to the provision of local NHS
services in orthopaedic surgery.