UCLan paramedic students and health staff join frontline fight against coronavirus

More than 100 staff and students from the University of Central Lancashire are gearing up to provide vital support to the region's NHS ambulance crews on the front line of the battle against Covid-19.
UCLan student paramedics are joining the NHS frontline fight against Covid-19UCLan student paramedics are joining the NHS frontline fight against Covid-19
UCLan student paramedics are joining the NHS frontline fight against Covid-19

Paramedic students from the Preston-based university will be working with North West Ambulance (NWAS) to provide help and urgent support for patients.

They will be working an a variety of key roles, from helping with the NHS 111 service and in emergency operation centres as well as acting as emergency care assistants with ambulance crews.

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Meanwhile, university teaching staff who specialise in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and operating department practice are returning to the NHS to work in hospital and urgent care centres across the region.

Others are on standby to provide help where it is needed to local NHS services.

Among those already signed up are two UClan plysiotherapy staff who swapped their teaching jobs to work with colleagues at the Royal Preston Hospital and East Lancashire Hospital Trust in Blackburn.

A member of the occupational therapy teaching team is now back at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

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On top of that, around 40 final year physiotherapy and occupational therapy students have joined the Health Care Professions Council emergency temporary register so they can start working as qualified therapists.

The university's principal lecturer and divisional led for the school of sport and health Dr Anne Milston, said: "

"We are really proud and supportive of our staff and students that are providing such vital assistance to the NHS at this important time."

She added: "The skills that are that our physiotherapy and occupational therapy staff can provide will clearly be very valuable and will hopefully make a positive difference to the services available to patients.

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"Rehabilitation starts within ICU and Allied Health Professionals enabling people to recover and return home is vital at this time.

"We’re also pleased that several of our paramedic students will be providing such important support to North West Ambulance Service when the need is clearly at its greatest."