North Cumbria NHS Trust invites local students to learn about a career in medicine

North Cumbria NHS Trust has been inviting local students to find out just how rewarding a career in medicine in Cumbria can be.

The event takes places on 1 and 2 July at the Cumberland infirmary.

It gives students in years 11-13 the opportunity to speak to a range of medical professionals about what it is like to work for the NHS.

Dr Louise Buchanan, is an associate medical director and consultant cardiologist. She is leading the event and said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for those considering medicine to ask anything they would like to know and get hands on experience from our experts.

"Doctors in training and consultants from a range of services including intensive care, orthopaedics, cardiology, maternity and surgery will be available to answer questions and give the students the opportunity to try their hand at delivering babies, inserting cannulas, fixing fractures, perform CPR and check for suspected cancer."

It is the first time that the Trust has been able to host the event since 2019.

The Department of Health has said the figures are "inaccurate". Credit: PA

It comes as Health experts have sounded the alarm over a “growing shortage” of family doctors after new estimates suggested a quarter of posts could be vacant in the next 10 years.

The Health Foundation think tank called for urgent action as it published a forecast showing there could be thousands of vacancies across England.

It found the current shortage of 4,200 full-time equivalent GPs in England is set to rise to 10,700 in 2030/31.

The British Medical Association has previously warned that around England, 100,000 NHS vacancies remain unfilled as the NHS continues to battle a waiting list backlog from the coronavirus pandemic.


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