Wigan Infirmary heart experts are gifted a special dummy on which they can practise cardiac care
A charitable donation to Wigan hospitals has meant they have been able to buy an advanced simulation manikin and associated high-tech kit to help with staff training
Patients are set to benefit from enhanced emergency cardiac care thanks to a charity grant awarded to Wigan’s hospital trust .
The £8,857 donation, provided by the NW Hearts Charity, has funded the purchase of an advanced simulation manikin - affectionately named Annie - and high-tech training equipment for the cardiac catheterisation laboratory at Wigan Infirmary.
The new equipment will allow multidisciplinary medical teams, including cardiologists, nurses, radiographers, physiologists, and resuscitation specialists, to run realistic, real-time emergency scenarios.
Cardiac catheterization is a procedure inserting a thin, flexible tube (catheter) into a blood vessel in the wrist, arm, or groin to diagnose and treat heart conditions
Unlike standard resuscitation training, these bespoke exercises will replicate specific complications that can arise during complex cardiac catheter procedures, enabling teams to refine their communication and rapid response skills.
Sarah Litherland, lead nurse at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL), said: "We are incredibly grateful to NW Hearts Charity for this grant.
“This advanced manikin allows us to recreate high-pressure scenarios in real-time.
“By practising together as a full multidisciplinary team, we can ensure our response to unexpected complications is faster, safer, and completely seamless, ultimate saving lives."
The training initiative is projected to benefit at least 80 healthcare staff annually and will also be made accessible to health service colleagues across Greater Manchester.
Sue Martin, chief executive officer of NW Hearts Charity said: "As part of our ongoing commitment to improve heart services, facilities and education across Greater Manchester, we are delighted to be able to award a grant of £8,857 to the cardiac catheter lab at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan.
“We receive many applications for funding, and we were particularly impressed by this project, which will offer a dedicated simulation training facility for specialist staff and enable cardiac teams from across Greater Manchester to work more collaboratively; ultimately improving outcomes for patients."
As a major NHS teaching hospital, WWL is dedicated to pioneering clinical education.
Bosses say that this new simulation capability reinforces the trust’s position as a centre of training excellence, enabling cardiology specialists, resident doctors, and multi-professional teams from across Greater Manchester to hone their skills right here at Wigan.