Express & Star

Campus to close after 39 years to consolidate Staffordshire university's healthcare courses

Officials from Staffordshire University have said the closure of its Shropshire-based campus comes as a decision to 'consolidate' healthcare courses.

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Staffordshire University's Shrewsbury campus when it reopened in 2016 after a transformation. In Picture L>R: Matt Dixon and Lena Riemke-Maw

The Staffordshire University campus based at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on Mytton Oak Road, has been welcoming students through its doors since 1983.

It is home to healthcare courses, taught in a community environment, where trainee nurses and other healthcare professionals can experience the workings of a running hospital.

But after 39 years of training, Staffordshire University has taken the decision to close the campus based at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to 'consolidate' its healthcare courses.

A Staffordshire University spokesperson said: “We made the decision to consolidate all our professional healthcare courses at our main Stafford and Stoke campuses in 2020 and our staff, students, unions and relevant partners, including Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), were consulted at that time.

"We will continue teach on the hospital site until summer 2023.

"As a University which has had a base at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital site for many years, we remain committed to developing the healthcare workforce in the county and will continue working very closely with the Trusts and other Shropshire-based providers to find suitable placements for our Shropshire based students.

“This year, with help from the Government’s Get Building Fund, we launched our £5.8m Centre for Health Innovation in Stafford which includes a state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Centre and enables our healthcare students to immerse themselves in the latest clinical education technology, to develop patient safety awareness and increase the digital capacity of our emerging healthcare workforce.

"We welcome anyone with an interest in becoming a nurse, paramedic or midwife to book on to our next open day, taking place on the morning of Saturday 12 November, to see our fantastic new facilities for themselves.”