Student led initiative helps to raise profile of AHPs

Hundreds of local people have benefitted from free check-ups carried out by healthcare students at the University of Huddersfield. The sessions are an opportunity for members of the public to benefit from free basic vision tests, Podiatry assessments and basic life support training alongside regular health checks.

The scheme has been backed by Health Education England and by the SIHED Challenge Fund and funded by the Office for Students. A total of £80,000 in funding has been awarded for the 18-month project, and specialist equipment has been purchased for the sessions.

It enables students to develop valuable people skills alongside the specialist expertise gained during their degree studies, in subjects such as nursing, optometry and podiatry.

Below is a list of upcoming events

24^th February 12:00 -15:00 Lunchtime concert Health checks at Huddersfield Town hall *

9^th March 12:00 -15:00 Lunchtime concert Health checks at Huddersfield Town hall *

16^th March 10:15 -11:15 Session at the Taster Day **

23^rd March 12:00 -15:00 Lunchtime concert Health checks at Huddersfield Town hall *

22^nd April 17:30-18:30 Health checks prior to A public Lecture by Professor Mike Lucock.

*Lunchtime concerts at Huddersfield Town Hall.

Huddersfield Town Hall run a series of lunchtime concerts The University of Huddersfield has linked with the Town Hall to run health checks before and after the concerts. A paper will then be written by Prof Barry Tolchard on how music effects people’s health and wellbeing. The Town Hall are contacting their season ticket holders in advance to ask if they are willing to take part in the study however anyone attending the concerts can have a health check.

**Sessions at Taster days

At these events healthcare students will teach pupils from visiting schools and colleges how to conduct some basic health checks, including blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate and oxygen saturation. The students will demonstrate the health checks, teach the pupils how to do the health checks, then the pupils can carry out the checks on each other.

Students from all of the healthcare disciplines studying at the University of Huddersfield are free to volunteer for the project.

The sessions are also a boost for the students, said Project Assistant Hannah Sladdin.

“They develop softer skills that you can’t always teach, because of the interaction with real people. Some of our students have fed back that the scheme is really helpful to their confidence.”

One volunteer student said: “It is a good way to practice doing some of the skills we have learnt in clinical skills, as well as being useful to reinforce basic skills that are used in practice. It the same time we get the opportunity to meet members of the public and offer them some basic health checks.”

Find out more about being a Podiatry student at The University of Huddersfield