A health and social care academy has opened in Hartlepool, County Durham, to help kick start the careers of the region's next generation of professionals.

The Health and Social Care Academy, based at the University Hospital of Hartlepool, secured £1.25m in funding in 2022 to support its development at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.

The facility has a dedicated academy manager and clinical training team. It includes a bespoke ‘at home' simulation suite, an immersive suite, a four-bed training bay, ICT suite, trainee common room, and several flexible training and classrooms.

NHS trainers will deliver courses within a hospital and real-life simulated settings and students will be able to gain first-hand, practical experience of acute care, specialist clinical procedures, and community.

Stacey Hunter, group chief executive at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘The hard work really starts now. The trust are the custodians of the academy, and it's now our job to maximise the benefits of what is here for local people.

'This is about ensuring easy access to education and career opportunities in healthcare, so we can work to improve not only the population's health, but access to good education and employment opportunities by working closely with all our partners.'

Darren Hankey, chair of the Hartlepool Town Deal Board and principal of Hartlepool College of Further Education, added: ‘It's been nearly five years in the making with lots of hard work done through Covid and a period of significant cost inflation – well done to the NHS team which has delivered this project on time and on budget.'