Students in the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University are to benefit from a major £4.8 million investment in new facilities funded by the Office for Students to further expand and develop the University’s suite of state-of-the-art healthcare simulation and laboratory facilities.
Students studying medicine, pharmacy, nursing, optometry and audiology will benefit from capital funding to support new equipment and facilities over the next three years. This latest funding follows on from an initial £1.5 million investment into healthcare simulation facilities on the University campus which were officially opened in December 2022 by Paulette Hamilton MP.
The funds will be used to create and equip a simulated hospital ward facility and a simulated patient home environment for healthcare students. Nursing Studies is now recruiting for its first intake of students in September 2023. Pharmacy students will also gain a new wet lab and asepsis suite.
The optometry simulation suite, unique in Europe, will be further enhanced with augmented reality simulation, allowing students to learn and refine their skills in a realistic instrument environment, with simulated patients with a wide range of eye conditions.
Aston Medical School will be equipped with the creation of an immersive room and an anatomy and physiology teaching facility.
Professor Liz Moores, Deputy Dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences, said: “The College of Health and Life Sciences is thrilled with this investment. The enhanced facilities will help to support many of our healthcare students, including those now applying for our new nursing degree. It will also support us with the introduction of the new pharmacy and optometry education standards, providing a step change in our ability to simulate a wide range of clinical scenarios.”
Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor at Aston University, said: “This strategic investment will ensure that our students are learning in the very best facilities with access to state-of-the-art digital technologies. The new facilities will enable us to prepare students fully for future careers that are strategically important to the healthcare sector and society. This is about bringing Industry 4.0 to healthcare.”
