MP James Wild, alongside key public stakeholders, visited the School of Nursing Studies (SoNS) facility based at the College of West Anglia (CWA) for a private tour to mark the completion of the building and its facilities.

Construction of the £0.9m facility began in March 2021, thanks to a successful bid supported by the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk (BCKLWN) and the Town Deal Board (TDB). The Accelerated Town Deal Funding for the SoNS is in addition to the £25 million Government funding allocation for the King’s Lynn Town Deal.  

Members of the BCKLWN, the TDB, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and MP James Wild were given a welcome address by David Pomfret, CWA Principal, followed by a tour of the facilities by Adrian Debney, SoNS Lead for Clinical Education.

The state-of-the-art modular building comprises of a clinical room mirroring new-scale hospital ward, a high-tech simulation suite and a skills room. The SoNS is the first Further Education facility in the United Kingdom to boast the Laerdal SimMan 3G+; high-tech simulation mannequins which can replicate physiological functions such as breathing, pulses, convulsions, temperature and blood pressure. These latest models can even simulate sweating, bleeding and pupil dilation, and provide an opportunity for learners develop their skills and knowledge by recreating authentic clinical scenarios and situations in a progressive and supportive environment.

Following a recent Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) visit, the SoNS expects to receive imminent accreditation to deliver the Level 5 Nursing Associate in conjunction with Anglia Ruskin University (ARU). The first cohort of QEH apprentices began in January 2022 at ARU’s Peterborough School and discussions between ARU, QEH and CWA are now aimed at enabling students to transfer their learning to the School in the next few months.

David Pomfret, CWA Principal, said,

“I am passionate about this facility and the opportunity it creates for people to start a nursing career, and for existing healthcare practitioners to upskill, locally. These facilities and the collaboration with partners are truly high class and will make such a difference to West Norfolk.”

Adrian Debney, Lead Clinical Educator at the SoNS, said:

“The SoNS represents a milestone in opening opportunities for the local workforce to live and train within the community. For many, the new training facility represents a dearly held aspiration, with a chance to achieve long-held ambitions in developing qualifications and careers in healthcare. Thirty-five years after beginning my own training as a nurse in King’s Lynn, it has been a privilege to be part of the journey in bringing it back home.”

Graham Purkins, Chairman of the Town Deal Board, said,

“The Town Deal Board has been delighted to be able to support the School of Nursing Studies through the Towns Fund Accelerated Funding made available in 2020. The new facility is very impressive with remarkable attention to detail and provides an excellent training environment. Thanks go to the teams at the CWA and QEH for their excellent collaboration and drive in delivering this very exciting project for King’s Lynn.”

Lorraine Gore, Chief Executive of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, said:

“The completion of the School of Nursing Studies building means that we’re closer to creating opportunities for local people to train and develop skills for a career in nursing. I look forward to seeing the QEH apprentices transfer to the state of the art School of Nursing Studies building at the King’s Lynn campus soon.”

Caroline Shaw CBE, Chief Executive at QEH, said:

“I am delighted that the School of Nursing Studies facility is now complete. This state-of-the-art facility is so important to West Norfolk and supports our future workforce needs and provides career opportunities for those in our local community wishing to study nursing closer to home.”

James Wild, Conservative MP for North West Norfolk, said:

“I was delighted to have been given a tour of the new School of Nursing Studies at the College of West Anglia. This impressive new facility will allow local people to complete Nursing Associate Apprenticeships and pursue a career in healthcare. This exciting development was funded through the government's King's Lynn Town Fund as part of the agenda to spread opportunity in West Norfolk.”

Attendees:

David Pomfret, Principal CWA

Adrian Debney, Lead Clinical Educator CWA

Sue Moore, Head of Faculty for Sports, Public and Caring Services

Councillor Graham Middleton

Councillor Richard Blunt

Councillor Nick Daubney

Councillor Stuart Dark

Lorraine Gore, Chief Executive BCKLWN

Duncan Hall, Town Deal Board

Jemma Curtis, Regeneration Programmes Manager BCKLWN

Caroline Shaw, Chief Executive QEH

Laura Skaife-Knight, Deputy Chief Executive QEH

Alice Webster, Chief Nurse QEH

Graham Purkins, Chairman of the Town Deal Board

Michael Baldwin, Town Deal Board

James Wild, Conservative MP for North West Norfolk

David Pomfret, Caroline Shaw, Laura Skaife-Knight, Alice Webster, Adrian Debney and Sue Moore

David Pomfret, MP James Wild and Adrian Debney