7 February
When three apprentices started on a pioneering programme within the Medical Engineering Services department (MES) at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) little did they know within a few months they would have a key role to play as the pandemic struck.
Rhys Arnold, Carnell McKenzie and Kurran Singh Rai are the first apprentices in MES for over 25 years. They are part of a 33-strong team which manages a mammoth 34,000 medical devices of which over 20,000 are owned by SaTH.
Nigel Watkinson, Medical Engineering Services manager at SaTH, said: “To put this into context the apprentices had a few months to settle and then COVID hit. It has been a good grounding and we couldn’t have predicted that – they have had to hit the ground running at a time of a pandemic the likes of which the NHS has not seen before.”
He said that they looked at an apprenticeship scheme within MES as nearly half of the department’s staff were at or about to reach retirement age and there was also recognition within the mechanical engineering industry that there was a shortage of technicians.
“We looked at candidates who were of a good academic level and over the age of 18 so they could head straight onto a unique clinical engineering degree,” Nigel said.
At the end of their three-year apprenticeship they will be trained to the highest level and can take over from those who are retiring, he added.
Carnell, Rhys and Kurran are learning the basic disciplines of mechanical and electronic engineering. They may then specialise in a certain field.
Rhys, aged 22, from Shrewsbury, said: “I picked the NHS because both my parents work at the Trust and my family has a long history with the NHS. I know it is a fantastic workplace and it is great place to go and help other people – we are dealing with patients day in and day out.”
He added that the parts he enjoyed were helping people and the job satisfaction.
Rhys is following both his parents into SaTh with his mother working at the Trust as a Senior Pharmacy Technician and his father an Estates Electrician.
Rhys, Carnell, 24, from Wolverhampton, and Kurran, 25, from Dudley, are now in their final year of BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science (Clinical Engineering) at the University of West England.
Most of the course is online with three block weeks spent at the university. The apprentices spend at least a day a week studying and then the rest of the week working at SaTH. They also move around the various departments in three-month blocks.
Nigel is hoping with the success of the apprentices they will be able to take on more in the future by showcasing SaTH as a great place to work and medical engineering as a fantastic career.
He added: “The apprentices come to SaTH and they want to stay and it is up to us to keep them. It is good that they are happy and motivated.”
Case Studies
Rhys Arnold, 22, from Shrewsbury 
My interest in engineering started with my dad. He’s been an electrician for decades and I always found it fascinating watching him and helping him work on fixing things at home. I also watched a lot of engineering-based programmes on the telly from a young age which always interested me.
I was attracted to SaTH by my parents; both of whom still currently work for the Trust. They told me it was a great place to work and being local to Shrewsbury it is very close to home. I have several friends who have also worked for the Trust, all of whom have recommended it as being a friendly place with helpful staff.
I like my department because my colleagues are all very helpful and have a lot to teach me! The work is self-rewarding and comes with a high level of job satisfaction. I get to work on many different types of equipment which I enjoy, and I also get to indirectly help patients and staff with providing the best care possible by ensuring their equipment is fully up to standard and fit for use.
My future aspirations are to eventually become a senior engineer in my department, and possibly becoming a team leader or department manager.
Carnell McKenzie, 24, from Wolverhampton
Since a young age I have been fascinated by how things work and have always enjoyed the challenge of fault finding and repairing any household appliance that would break down. I have always enjoyed the practical side when it comes to engineering.
Taking part in the medical engineering apprenticeship with SaTH has given me the opportunity to experience working as an engineer within a professional environment, alongside other skilled and experienced engineers.
Along with the hands-on experience I was provided with the opportunity to study at university where I am working towards achieving a degree in clinical engineering. Working in the Medical Engineering Department is very fascinating as the technology of the equipment is constantly evolving and there is a wide variety of different types of equipment, meaning every day is different and there will always be something new for us to learn.
Once the apprenticeship is finished, I would like to continue working alongside my colleagues at SaTH to further develop my skills enabling me to one day become a specialist renal engineer.
Kurran Singh Rai, 25, from Dudley
From a young age I was interested in repairing various things around the house for my grandparents and from this I found that I wanted to help people. Growing up as an elder brother, I wanted my younger siblings to see what working hard, both practically and in studies would bring. So, working at SATH as a Medical Engineering Apprentice was perfect.
From when I came for my work experience and later my open day, I knew this was where I wanted to work.
There is a good dynamic within the department, and I find that each day I can improve my ability due to the support I am given by the team.
I can’t see myself working anywhere else after this apprenticeship, I want to stay here for the rest of my career. It’s allowed me to do what I was good at (repairing equipment) and study, with this combination I’m following my aspirations and helping to improve people’s lives.