ECS hosts Keele Medical Students- supporting the Doctors of the future.

Since June 2021, ECS have been hosting second year medical students from Keele University for their community placements. Students training to be doctors each have to spend time with a local community organisation who work with a range of people accessing and using health and social care services.

As a provider of seven local Healthwatch we have been able to provide placements for nine students since 2021 and have just welcomed a further six to their placement for this academic year.

For their placement this year, our students are carrying out background research for a range of Healthwatch workplan projects, including hospital discharge, rural access to services and perinatal mental health. This will enable them to gain a deeper understanding of some of the issues and concerns members of the public have expressed to our local Healthwatch, to understand better the work that local Healthwatch do with the public and to contribute to the work that our local Healthwatch are doing this year.

Past students have carried out surveys and telephone interviews in areas such as digital exclusion, and patient experience of lipoedema care and treatment.

We believe that hosting students in this way means that we are helping raise awareness amongst medical professionals of the importance of the patient and public voice as well as raising their awareness of issues of concern to the public.

We are committed to providing placement opportunities to a range of students from schools, colleges and universities to further their knowledge and skills and see it as an important part our role as Community Interest Company, helping the future doctors recognise the importance of Healthwatch and the patient’s voice.