North West Simulation Network

North West Simulation Network
Name	North West Simulation Network
Abbreviation	NWSN
Formation	2007
Type	Consortium
Headquarters	Manchester, England
Region served	North West England
Membership	Hospitals, Universities, Trusts
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Dr. Eleanor Hughes

North West Simulation Network

The North West Simulation Network is a regional consortium based in Manchester that coordinates simulation-based training across NHS trusts, universities, and emergency services. It links clinical centres such as Manchester Royal Infirmary, educational institutions including University of Manchester and Lancaster University, and professional bodies like Royal College of Physicians and Health Education England to share resources, curricula, and research in simulation. The network promotes interprofessional simulation among clinicians from NHS England, paramedics from North West Ambulance Service, and educators from universities including University of Liverpool and Edge Hill University.

Overview

The network functions as a hub for simulation centres at sites including Salford Royal Hospital, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, and Royal Preston Hospital, facilitating partnerships with academic units such as Liverpool John Moores University and University of Central Lancashire. It integrates techniques from mannequin-based training pioneered at Royal London Hospital and simulation modalities used in programmes at Oxford University Hospitals and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. The consortium engages with regulatory and accreditation organisations like General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, and Care Quality Commission to align simulation standards with professional requirements.

History and Development

Founded in 2007, the network emerged from collaborative projects between simulation leads at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and researchers at the National Institute for Health Research. Early development involved adapting methodologies from simulation initiatives at Imperial College London and King's College London and exchanging faculty with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. Expansion in the 2010s was driven by funding awards from bodies including Wellcome Trust and Big Lottery Fund, and by policy drivers from NHS England and Health Education England. Key milestones included establishing a regional simulation faculty, creating shared equipment pools modelled after programmes at Hamad Medical Corporation and formalising multi-agency disaster simulation exercises similar to those conducted by Public Health England and Department for Transport.

Membership and Affiliated Institutions

Membership spans acute trusts, community trusts, ambulance services, universities, and specialist charities. Principal healthcare members include Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Academic affiliates encompass University of Liverpool, University of Manchester, Lancaster University, and University of Salford. Emergency services and partner organisations include North West Ambulance Service, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, and charities such as St John Ambulance and Samaritans. The network also collaborates with research funders and professional societies including National Institute for Health Research, Royal College of Nursing, and Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare.

Programs and Activities

The network delivers interprofessional courses, faculty development, and simulation research. Educational offerings range from in-situ obstetric emergency drills at Alder Hey Children's Hospital to multisite trauma exercises modelled on scenarios used at Royal Victoria Infirmary and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Faculty development draws on curricula from Royal College of Anaesthetists and Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management while certification pathways reference assessments endorsed by General Medical Council. Research activity includes randomized trials and implementation studies conducted in partnership with National Institute for Health Research and academic units at Lancaster University and University of Central Lancashire. The network organises annual conferences featuring keynote speakers from institutions such as University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and University College London, and hosts simulation symposia aligned with meetings of Health Education England and British Medical Association.

Governance and Funding

Governance is overseen by a steering committee representing clinical simulation leads from member institutions, with advisory input from representatives of NHS England, Health Education England, and academic partners at University of Manchester. The directorate reports to a board comprising executives from trusts including Salford Royal Hospital and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Funding sources are mixed: consortium subscriptions, competitive grants from bodies such as National Institute for Health Research and Wellcome Trust, service contracts with NHS commissioners, and sponsorship from medical technology companies that supply simulation manikins and audiovisual systems, similar to procurement patterns at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Royal Brompton Hospital.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations combine Kirkpatrick-style outcomes with implementation science frameworks used in studies from National Institute for Health Research and Medical Research Council. Reported impacts include reductions in time-to-intervention in simulated cardiac arrest scenarios at Royal Preston Hospital, improved team communication metrics observed in multisite studies with University of Liverpool, and enhanced trainee confidence reported by participants from University of Manchester and Liverpool John Moores University. External assessments by Care Quality Commission and audits shared with Health Education England demonstrate contributions to organisational preparedness for major incidents, mirroring outcomes documented in NHS-wide reviews and independent evaluations by King's Fund.

Category:Organisations based in Manchester Category:Medical education in England