19 March 2019

SaTH is forging links with the University Centre Shrewsbury to inspire its students to become healthcare scientists of the future.

The Trust, which runs the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford, welcomed students from the University on placement for the first time this week.

Third year medical genetic students Charlotte Utting and Jack Caress visited The Shropshire and Mid Wales Fertility Centre, also run by SaTH, as part of National Healthcare Science Week.

Charlotte (L) and Jack (R) with Jason Kasraie and Emily Tonks (centre) from the Fertility Centre

They were given behind-the-scenes access to the unit at the Severn Fields Health Village in Shrewsbury during their day placement, where they met with the fertility team, including its scientists, to learn first-hand about the work that they do.

Charlotte, 23, said “I am hoping to go into cancer research so I wanted to broaden my knowledge and doing it this way has opened my eyes to the healthcare side of science.”

Jack, also 23, added: “I would like to go into genetic counselling so this was a way of exploring other options and giving me experience of working in healthcare sciences.”

Jason Kasraie, Consultant Clinical Embryologist and Andrologist at SaTH and also the Trust’s Lead Scientist, said: “We are delighted to be hosting students from the University Centre Shrewsbury. We hope that this is the start of a long-lasting and productive collaboration between the scientific departments at the Trust and the University.

“By building links early on in their undergraduate years, we hope to inspire students to pursue a career in the healthcare service.

“It is mutually beneficial for the Trust and the University because we get the opportunity to work closely with the students and meet what is potentially the workforce of the future, whilst the students gain a greater understanding of a healthcare environment and the vital contribution that scientific staff make on a daily basis.”

Elizabeth O’Brien, Programme Lead for Medical Genetics at the University Centre Shrewsbury, said: “This partnership is a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain an invaluable and exciting introduction into healthcare science as a career.

“We are looking forward to further developing our ties with the Trust so our students can gain an insight into the wide variety of careers available within the NHS, and inspire them to be part of the next generation of healthcare scientists.”