Releasing student’s potential- widening access to opportunities in community healthcare

This summer the Department of Primary Care and Public Health kicked off an exciting new programme to Widening Access to Careers in Community Healthcare (WATCCH). We hosted twenty 17 year olds – aspiring to be the first in their families to go to university – at the Charing Cross campus for the inaugural WATCCH project. Our aim was to change perceptions of wider healthcare careers and provide vital work experience for their University application forms. Competition was high and the team was very impressed by the number of high calibre students that applied for a place.

The pupils, in pairs, then attended a 3-day work experience attachment at a General Practice over the summer, where they shadowed various health care professionals ranging from pharmacists, to phlebotomists, nurses, physiotherapists and GPs. 

Our budding health professionals reported that they had their eyes opened to new and different careers in healthcare they were not previously aware of. One pupil commented that they had learnt “how the different healthcare professionals work together to provide the best quality care”. Another said they had “learnt more about the opportunities available and how to find them”. Pupils also felt insightful about providing best quality care, with admiration for the way in which different healthcare professionals worked as a team. It was even said that you “will never get bored” in healthcare!

In early September ran a final workshop day to review their reflections of what they had learnt and gained from their work experience. They all completed a placement project to showcase their reflections of their attachment which they shared at the workshop. The original mind maps were revisited to review if their perceptions had changed following the placement. Our admissions tutor Professor Kevin Murphy, discussed how to incorporate their work experience into their personal statements for UCAS applications.

 The WATCCH project is needed now more than ever. Figures from the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) show that in 2016 entry rates to “higher tariff” universities for 18 year-olds from the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods stood at just 3.6%. This is exaggerated within the health sector, where there is also a shortage of work experience, despite it being essential for applications. The shortage is particularly acute for those who have no family or social connections to healthcare professionals, despite good GCSE grades.

The NHS workforce is certainly facing a recruitment crisis and our aim is to help channel and support enthusiastic applicants towards a brighter future in healthcare. A well functioning multi-professional team in the community will aid primary care as a whole in delivering better patient care.

The GP teaching team at the Department of Primary Care and Public Health were instrumental in facilitating the induction day. If you would like further information about the WATCCH programme contact Dr Farah Jamil, lead GP for WATCCH programme, at f.jamil@imperial.ac.uk .

The WATCCH Team at the Department of Primary Care and Public Health
Dr Sonia Kumar, Mr Tom Durley, Miss Jenna Mollaney, Dr Farah Jamil, Miss Noosheen Bashir (from L to R)