“As someone from Hartlepool, I have a legacy and it’s important I give everything I can to develop the town’s young people – the same people who will one day be looking after me.”
A healthcare educator in Hartlepool spoke passionately as the town’s leaders jointly pledged to do all they can to create opportunities for people.
Figures including Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash, Hartlepool Borough Council managing director Denise McGuckin and deputy lord lieutenant for Durham Peter Bowes took a tour of the health and social care academy at the University Hospital of Hartlepool recently.
The state-of-the-art unit, opened in September last year, includes a bespoke ‘at home’ simulation suite, an immersive suite, a four-bed training bay, ICT suite, trainee common room and several flexible training and class rooms – all created to help train existing health and social care workers and train, develop and inspire the next generation.
People want to learn and grow
Teresa Pounder, education lead who was born and raised in Hartlepool, said during the visit: “People in this town want to learn and to grow – if you show that passion then they want to learn from you.
“You need to role model and to create that aspiration. I have a legacy and it’s important I give everything I can to develop the town’s young people – the same people who will one day be looking after me.”
Teresa is part of an education team at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust carrying training both in the unit and in the community – including in schools, colleges and public settings.
Joel Pitchers, simulation technician, leads on running the unit’s high-tech equipment including its manikins – who breathe, move and speak – and the immersive room which mimic real-life scenarios for students to practice and learn in.
Demonstrating a scenario involving an incident on a public bus, he told visitors: “This equipment is all about creating the most realistic conditions we can for those we are training – hopefully this facility can inspire people.”
Several figures from University Hospitals Tees, which runs the facility, joined the tour including chief executive Stacey Hunter, deputy director of education and learning Gary Wright and managing director Neil Atkinson.
Aspiring for a career in healthcare
Stacey said: “We can offer high quality sustainable employment to people in Hartlepool.
“The training in this centre is at the heart of that but there is also a whole range of other things we can do, including going out into our community.
“We also know through the joint group between North Tees and Hartlepool and South Tees Hospitals we will benefit from a broader footprint across Tees Valley and beyond.
“We are making sure that if someone from Hartlepool aspires for a career in healthcare they can do it.”
Hartlepool can become world class healthcare hub
Jonathan Brash, MP for Hartlepool, added: “This is a fantastic asset for Hartlepool, which shows that we are investing in our town’s health services and our hospital.
“I am passionate about the importance of social care, training up more people in dementia care.
“We need to market places like this to the Hartlepool people so that they train here, work here and stay here. Training our own people in the jobs of the future is so important.
“We also want others to come here. Hartlepool can become a hub of world class health – we want to create that through facilities like this.”
Denise McGuckin also added: “The idea for me is someone young comes through this front door and gives them windows of opportunity around what they would like to do
“This isn’t about shiny buildings, it is about investing in Hartlepool people.”
The academy is one of five of the council’s Town Deal transformation projects and secured £1.25m in funding back in 2022 to support its development at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.
You can find out more on the academy page.