New recruit helps with training at the George Eliot hospital

A NEW recruit at George Eliot Hospital is helping medical staff practise a huge range of medical procedures.

The Nuneaton hospital has bought a £70,000 manikin, on which to practise ceasarean sections, treat post-partum haemorrhages, or fit naso-gastric tubes and urinary catheters, using real medical equipment.

The manikin, nicknamed Vicky, can replicate vital signs of patients with a variety of conditions and even speaks a number of phrases depending on the simulation being run.

It was purchased with the help of the hospital’s League of Friends volunteer group and marks a significant invest- ment in the simulation suite.

Lisa McDonnell is post graduate medical education manager and simulation tutor at George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust.

She said: “Vicky can be used for so many different simulations and we think she’s a really great investment.

“Some people find simulations very uncomfortable, but we hope this new manikin will help familiarise our staff with the process, so they can practice in a situation as near to real life as possible.

“It’s been a bit of a challenge getting to grips with the new technology, but we’ve particularly enjoyed creating some fake blood and guts, using strawberry jam and bits of chicken liver!”