Nursing Placements

When you applied for your place on the programme, you were also offered a placement based within the health economy – but what does this mean?

A health economy boundary is usually the area covered by a clinical commissioning group (CCG), inside which is a range of providers including clinics and health centres, GP practices, hospitals, community hospitals, nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics, and other healthcare services such as hospices and walk-in centres. The majority of your placement learning will likely be in that health economy and travel will be expected to access all the placement learning opportunities.

This area includes all Walsall Healthcare Trust services providing inpatients and outpatients at the Manor Hospital, as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor Hospital houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof, while the Walsall community health services operate from some 60 sites including health centres, GP surgeries, and groups such as Walsall Clinical Commissioning Group, Walsall Council, One Walsall.

This area includes all Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust services at New Cross Hospital: Secondary and Tertiary Services, Maternity, Accident and Emergency, Critical Care, and Outpatients. The Trust is one of the largest acute and community providers in the West Midlands, having more than 850 beds on the New Cross site. The Trust also provides 56 rehabilitation beds at West Park Hospital and 54 beds at Cannock Chase Hospital. There are more than 20 sites in this health economy, including community services for children and adults, walk-in centres, and therapy and rehabilitation services.

• West Park Hospital - Rehabilitation Inpatient and Day Care Services, Therapy Services and Outpatients
• Cannock Chase Hospital - General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Breast Surgery, Urology, Dermatology/Plastic Surgery, and Medical Day Case Investigations and Treatment (including Endoscopy, Rheumatology, and Dermatology)

This area includes all the services provided by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust as an integrated care organisation. Services are provided at City Hospital on Birmingham’s Dudley Road, from Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich, and from our intermediate care hub at Rowley Regis. University of Wolverhampton students will mainly access the Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich and Rowley Regis. The community teams deliver care across Sandwell, providing integrated services in GP practices and at home, and offering both general and specialist home care for adults, in nursing homes and hospice locations.

The Trust is due to commission its new Midlands Metropolitan University Hospital on Grove Lane in Smethwick in spring 2022, which will see the majority of inpatient services from Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich. However many services will continue to be provided at Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich and Rowley Regis, and all three sites will offer placement learning opportunities.

This area includes all the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. It is the main provider of district general hospital services for nearly half a million people in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, and Mid Wales with 700 beds and assessment & treatment trolleys. The main service locations are the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shrewsbury, and placements are offered at both Trusts. Alongside our services at the Princess Royal and Royal Shrewsbury, we also provide community and outreach services such as: renal dialysis outreach services, community services including midwifery, audiology, and therapies. Placements will also be undertaken with Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, which provides a range of community-based health services for adults and children in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, and runs four community hospitals in Bishop's Castle, Bridgnorth, Ludlow, and Whitchurch, as well as the new Oswestry Health Centre.

This area includes services provided by University Hospitals Derby and Burton. Acute placement learning opportunities will be mainly at Queen’s Hospital Burton, which is the principal provider of acute hospital services for the residents of Burton upon Trent and surrounding areas including South Staffordshire, South Derbyshire, and North West Leicestershire.

At Queen’s Hospital Burton, there is a full complement of emergency department, outpatient and direct access services, and all specialties are supported by a comprehensive range of clinical services in therapies, pharmacy, pathology, and radiology. There are two MRI Scanners, two CT Scanners, a dedicated endoscopy suite, a breast care unit, and stroke facilities. Placements will also be undertaken in community services delivered by Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust and the local CCG in Staffordshire.