Emergency services across the Humber region have come together to deliver a simulation of a road traffic accident as part of a learning event.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, NHS Humber Health Partnership (which runs some of the region’s hospitals) and other colleagues from across the health and care system all came together to create an interactive learning event around trauma systems.
The multi-agency event at Clough Road Fire Station saw a road traffic accident simulation with fire crews cutting a ‘patient’ from the wreck of a car, the pre-hospital medical services (air ambulance and ground ambulance crews) working on the patient at the scene and the hospital staff there to understand the patient perspective and potential medical challenges associated with extrication.
Participants on the NHS England Enhance programme, run locally by the Yorkshire and Humber Generalist School, took part in the event.
Head of School for the Humber Generalist School, Miss Helen Cattermole, said: “Our fire service colleagues regularly run these events for their own staff, but by inviting us to participate our teams have gained a valuable insight into what happens before patients arrive at hospital; helping them to learn more about trauma all round, from the initial experience of trauma, through to the psychological impact and recovery. Having a group of medical, nursing and other healthcare professionals on scene has allowed the first responders to learn more about their own clinical management of the patient and to help them identify improvements in their processes for future incidents.”
Following the simulation, those on the Humber Generalist School Enhance course spent the afternoon back at Hull Royal Infirmary learning more about the psychological impact of trauma, post-trauma management and about rehabilitation which included a patient sharing his story, ‘from roadside to recovery’.
Helen added: “This links with other learning they have had about violence prevention, safer roads and how the integrated trauma system around the region works together to prevent injury and learn from incidents and best practice. The module on major trauma systems is the first time anything like this has been run in the UK as part of the Enhance programme.”
The Yorkshire and Humber Generalist School’s Enhance programme is a professional development programme open to all healthcare staff working across the Humber region. The one-year course focuses on enhancing generalist skills – the areas of practice which span all specialties and professions such as providing person-centred care, working sustainably in complex systems, reducing health inequalities and managing patients with multiple interacting comorbidities. The programme is unique in the country by bringing together clinical and managerial health professionals, social care colleagues and charity workers to learn about the challenges facing health and care and break down the professional silos which can hamper collaboration and innovation.
The programme supports the government’s Ten Year Plan for the NHS, Fit for the Future, which focuses on three big shifts – from hospital to community, analogue to digital and sickness to prevention. Modules on complex multi-morbidity, population health, personalised healthcare and health inequalities, together with a thread about digital transformation directly support the ambitions of the plan, as one of the only programmes already up and running with these elements already in place.
Course leaders seek to bring interactive learning events like these as part of the course to give participants a wide array of learning methods, and many participants attend in their own time, so passionate are they about making a difference. Previously learners have had a visit from the autism bus, experienced simulated dementia, have discussed the barriers to accessing green spaces in a wellbeing visit to Dalby Forest hosted by Forestry England, have seen the solar panels at Castle Hill Hospital, visited a waste plant in Knaresborough and observed the work of the mental health hub at the Humber Bridge.
More than 140 local health and care professionals have completed the Enhance course already, with positive feedback including:
“This is the best course I have ever done. I use the knowledge every day in supporting my patients.” Emergency Medicine Specialist.
“The modules that we’re covering through the Enhance programme have not only added to my current knowledge but have strengthened my conviction that the way we connect with each other is absolutely vital to support people in the community.” Alzheimer’s Society Manager.
“I was able to explore the healthcare needs and priorities of the populations served in the wider healthcare system. I was keen to better understand the intricacies of the system and take time to consider how this impacts patient care and sustainability, involving staff, healthcare provision and environmental issues. I would recommend the Enhance programme to anyone who wishes to develop integrated working.” Practice Nurse.
The eighth cohort of the Yorkshire and Humber Generalist School starts in the Humber region (Hull, East Riding, Grimsby, Scunthorpe) this week. The ninth cohort starts in York in April 2026 (York and North Yorkshire). Courses are also running in Bradford and Sheffield. Apply at https://www.yorksandhumberdeanery.nhs.uk/education/generalism-enhance or email [email protected] for more information.