On Wednesday 29 November 2023, the Manx Care Medical Education Department hosted the Henry Bloom Noble Healthcare Trust for the official opening of a new medical student accommodation facility.
Noble’s Hospital is an education provider for six medical schools across the UK, meaning that students from these schools can carry out their placements on the Island. Noble’s has increased its capacity for medical spaces to aid the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan expansion. This Workforce Plan has been set in motion to train, retain and reform clinicians, to help combat the challenges of an aging and growing population, creating a sustainable future.
To help accommodate the new students, the Henry Bloom Noble Healthcare Trust (HBNHT) has enabled a property in Douglas to be used as student housing. Over several months, the property has been renovated and prepared, ahead of its official opening on Wednesday.
Co-ordinator for Medical Undergraduates and Specialty and Specialist Doctors, Mark Roberts, commented:
‘It is wonderful that we have been able to expand our Medical Education placements and we are extremely grateful to HBNHT for stepping in and finding a property specifically for this purpose. Over the last few years, we have achieved some of the highest results in the National Trainee Survey (NTS) from the General Medical Council (GMC), for the provision of medical education to Junior Doctors, and therefore Noble’s is an extremely desirable placement. Having the facilities to host more undergraduates is integral to building our own sustainable workforce on-Island.’
Henry Bloom Noble Healthcare Trust Chairman, Terry Groves, added:
‘It is our pleasure to have facilitated the provision of accommodation, which is handily placed within a mile radius of Noble’s Hospital. The work that the Medical Education team does is incredible and that is reflected in the accolades, awards and demand for their services. The Trust has a history of assisting our health and care workers with housing, and it is fitting that we continue to assist in this way.’
Medicine and Surgery Student, Charlie Seddon, highlighted:
‘This is fantastic for students like myself, as coming to a placement in a different country can be really unsettling – no matter how many times you do it. This house will allow the placements to come into a family environment and enable them to settle more quickly. There are several communal areas within the property, which will allow peers to bond and support each other throughout their journey.’
